


As Good As It Gets

by cuphugaddict



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Schönberg/Boublil
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Birthday Party, Cosette likes Javert, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Injury, Javert as a Babysitter, Javert feels lost, Javert is merely being confused, M/M, Romance, Valjean smiles a lot, unbetad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-15
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2017-12-20 07:06:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 30,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/884378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuphugaddict/pseuds/cuphugaddict
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The title says it all ... Basicially like the movie but (obviously) Les Miz style:<br/>Javert has an apartment in the Rue de l'Homme armée and Valjean moves in with Cosette in the flat facing his. Our inspector is not amused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Inspector Javert was a humble, yet passionate man.

 

His modesty manifested itself in ways of his private life. He lived in a rather small apartment in the _Rue de l’Homme armée_ , a shelter much too small-sized for a man of his position. Even though his salary wasn’t that high, he would still be able to afford a much more spacious flat or even a small town house. But Javert was a man with no need for unnecessary belongings, and so he stayed with the home he had chosen when he had first arrived in the capital of France.

 

The apartment itself resembled the policeman’s simplicity.

There was a small kitchen, a table for him to eat, a simple sofa and a small TV, a book shelf with a lot of literature concerning the law and justice, and a bedroom with a simple wooden bed and a small cabinet. The whole flat was equipped in colors of white, brown, grey and black. The only area of excess in the Spartan surroundings was the inspector’s bureau. Here the case files piled up on both sides left and right of the chair, books and solved criminal cases spread out in front of a rather old laptop. Sometimes, the only ray of light in the whole apartment came from the desk light resting on the top right corner of the bureau.

 

As simple as Javert’s flat was, as simple was his private life.

Javert himself hated to call it free time or even spare time, because a man of the law never had even an hour off duty. Crime never slept and rarely did Javert. These believes of his interfered immensely with more private activities of the policeman.

Usually, he left his apartment early for work and returned late at night, only to eat a sparse meal, work a bit on his police reports and then go to bed. In the inspector’s first year in the _Rue de l’Homme armée_ this behavior of his was the topic of the chit-chat of the apartment buildings’ women who stayed at home all day and had nothing else to do as to keep a watchful eye on the occupants of the house. This rather young man surely had a dark secret, the women gossiped. A secret affair, maybe. Surely, the inspector wasn’t the most handsome of men but still he held a certain attraction. This upright posture of his and the always neat and flawless appearance certainly made up for his lacking skills in small-talk. But as no evidence for an affair or any other secret was found, the women stopped gossiping and just thought of Javert’s life as the boring routine of a policeman.

 

Nevertheless, Javert was a passionate man, as had been noted before.

The one thing he was most passionate about was his job at the police of Paris. To keep the righteous people safe and fight the crime in the streets of the city was Javert’s determination, which he tried to fulfill rigorously and regardless of the consequences – be it on him or somebody else. He held high moral standards and applied these to everybody around him. Naturally, the people capable of committing a crime were, according to Javert, unable to live under these rules and were therefore detested by the stern policeman. Due to this, he didn’t hold any sympathy for them or their behavior and was under the impression that those people would never be able to change.

 

Said conviction of the inspector was the main reason for Javert’s latest discomfort, yes, one even dare to say anger and repulsion.

About half a year ago, a man and his daughter moved in the apartment opposite of his. Said man was Jean Valjean, an ex-convict, who Javert himself had arrested – his first big case in Paris. Valjean had partaken in a robbery but as his fellow delinquents had left him right at the crime scene, he had surrendered himself to Javert and confessed everything – including some insignificant details of why he had committed such a crime. Javert hadn’t followed the exact happenings of the life of Jean Valjean from them on; he only knew that he had been released from prison earlier than his sentence would have been due to good behavior. It had been quite a shock for Javert to see that exact man move into the apartment his apartment faced, let alone where that child suddenly came from.

 

This had awoken curiosity in the inspector and he had gotten Valjean’s file. It said that he had only served two and a half of his original five years in prison, then got on parole and soon adopted a girl called Cosette. Frowning over the fact that a freshly released thief was allowed to adopt a child in such a little amount of time, Javert got back to Cosette’s file. It said that her mother had died four years ago and her father disappeared and was nowhere to be found. This had left the girl an orphan at the age of three. As no close relative of her could be found, she went from one terrible foster home to another. Until Valjean appeared with a letter of the girl’s mother which said that it had been Fantine’s wish that Valjean adopted her girl. After a lot of lawsuits regarding child custody, the adoption was granted under strict requirements for Valjean to fulfill.

 

… And now they lived next door.

 

Javert thought his fate very cruel to play a joke like that one on him.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Javert is even less amused than before ...

 

Javert was a man who appreciated fruitful silence.

 

After a day’s shift at the police department, he first needed to clear his mind from the sometimes quite disturbing happenings in the streets of Paris. This brief time of recovery was followed by a significant amount of time writing reports. Or studying files. Or re-writing reports.

 

To keep it short, Javert wanted his surroundings quiet so that he could focus entirely on his work.

 

Usually, the apartment building was a very quiet one; one heard somebody walk up the stairs or, very rarely, hurry down which caused a bit more noise. But it didn’t last long.

Javert could tell by the sound of the steps who was walking up or down the stairs. For example, Msr. Renoir, who lived in the flat over Javert, had a cane and therefore, it wasn’t very hard to make out his steps. Then, there was Mademoiselle Donat, whose steps always clicked due to her high heels, and, of course, the ones from Mme. Lamirrand, a big woman with accordingly slow and heavy steps. As observant as our inspector was, he also noticed and memorized the steps of the new occupants of the apartment opposite of his.

 

Valjean’s steps were heavy, sure and calm, the man rarely was in a hurry. The ones of Cosette on the other hand were silent and dancing, always trying to keep up with the big one’s of the ex-convict. Sometimes Javert only witnessed Valjean’s sounds and when he heard the man’s shoes hit the ground a bit heavier than usually, the inspector knew that he was carrying the girl. He had to admit that Cosette behaved quite well, at least for the education of an ex-convict. She rarely shouted, screamed or shrieked on the corridor or rumbled down the stairs as he often heard in other houses.

 

But of course, there were exceptions to this behavior, as there usually are with small children, and by coincidence, it happened on a day with Javert’s mood below his usual grumpiness.

 

The inspector had experienced a rough day:

At first, at all had gone well. He and his unit had blown the cover of a huge drug cartel by an undercover investigation of one of Javert’s officers. Javert really would have done the job himself but he was well known (and probably feared) all across Paris, which made undercover operations impossible. But he didn’t keep away from the arrest.

At the crime scene it had started to go all wrong. As the police had surrounded the dealers, something in the trailer they used to hold their ‘meetings’ had crashed onto the floor. Everybody spun around and the drug baron Thénardier had started shooting. One bullet grazed Javert’s upper arm and he had dropped his weapon. Due to the inexplicable paralysis of his subordinate officers, almost half of the criminals could get away. Then Javert had been taken to the hospital (as if the paramedics in the ambulance couldn’t have done that) and the doctor forbade him to go to work for three weeks. _Three weeks_!  He couldn’t let his unit down for three weeks. They had to catch Thénardier or he would be out of reach forever. But his chief had threatened him with suspension if he sat even one foot inside the police station for those three weeks and so Javert had to make other arrangements.

 

He was halfway through his plan of getting his unit to report everything to him and he, in return, could operate in one of their names, when the stupid ex-con girl bounced up the stairs, cheerfully shrieking. And if that hadn’t been enough already, he heard Valjean’s insufferable laugh about every of the girl’s silly remarks. So he had gotten up and dragged himself to the door (the painkillers were doing a very good job to possibly kill everything else) and tore the door open.

 

Valjean and Cosette were halfway across the corridor and the girl was still bouncing up and down at Valjean’s side.

 

“VALJEAN!”

 

The addressed one spun around and for a millisecond his facial expression changed to a shocked one before he put that damnable smile on again.

 

“Inspector Javert, what …”

 

“Stop that incoherent babbling of yours and listen! There are other people living in this building who want their rest. And your …” he waved his uninjured hand at Cosette, “… your girl’s screaming does make it impossible to concentrate on my work.”

 

Cosette looked like a deer in the headlights while Valjean remained calm and still smiled.

 

“Yes Javert, I’m sorry about that. It won’t happen again.”

 

“Oh, now I’m feeling much better. After you gave me your word. I’m asking you, what can the word of an ex-con be worth?”

 

“Javert, this really isn’t necessary …”

 

“What really wouldn’t be necessary is that you adopted that kid in the first place! What future can that girl have with a parent like you?”

 

It seemed to Javert as though Valjean did the next deep breath on purpose. Then he turned to his child.

 

“Cosette, here’s the key, please go into the flat. Will you do that, ma petite?”

 

The blonde girl only nodded and hurried into the apartment. Then Valjean stepped closer to Javert and for a minute the inspector scolded himself mentally for not being more careful. Provoking a former convict with legendary strength while he himself was injured was a stupid idea. He blamed the painkillers again.

 

“Now listen _Inspector,_ I’m telling you this only once.” Javert was sure that even if Valjean had shouted at him, he couldn’t be more terrified than by these calm and slowly uttered words of the man.

 

“I don’t care if you humiliate me with your presumptuous remarks but leave Cosette out of this, do you understand?”

 

Javert swallowed. “Or what? Are you going to kill me then?”

 

Valjean’s smirk made shivers run down Javert’s spine.

 

“Believe me Javert, there are more cruel things than killing people. Two and a half years in prison have taught me that.”

 

Goosebumps spread over Javert’s arms and he sent a prayer to Heaven that he wore a vest over his T-shirt. But he stood with squared shoulders in his doorframe until Valjean had walked into his apartment again. The he closed the door and let out the breath he hadn’t realized he had held.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Javert was furious. No, to be honest to himself, he was rather depressed than furious.

The Chief had blocked Javert’s cell phone and fixed line after two days of the inspector’s leave because he had terrorized the whole station with his calls. These were the words of his superior. Javert himself thought that this particular remark was absurd. He only wanted to make sure that his unit and the police station knew all the significant details of the Thénardier case. To call that terrorism was an exaggeration.

 

Still, the station had blocked his line and so Javert had nothing to do than to sit at home and think his cases over. Sometimes he got up and made himself some coffee or convenience food or watched a bit of TV, which he found immensely boring, even in his current state of mind.

 

Suddenly there was a knock on his door.

Javert slightly shook his head, furrowed his brow and wondered who that could be. Maybe one of his officers who wanted to give him some updates on their current work? His face lit up immediately and he hurried to the door. Before opening the door, he braced himself and squared his shoulders.

 

There was nobody to be seen.

 

Javert shook his head in confusion and let his gaze travel downwards.

There stood the Valjean girl clearly a bit scared and with her shoulders drawn up in defense.

 

“Yes?” Javert snarled.

 

“Excuse me Monsieur, but would it be possible to use your bathroom? It’s an emergency” the girl almost whimpered.

 

“Pardon?!”

 

Cosette, yes, that was her name, Javert remembered, looked around and as nobody else was seen she whispered, “I need to pee.”

 

The inspector thought he had misheard the small girl. But on second thoughts, she didn’t look as she was playing a joke on him.

 

“I’m sure you have your own toilet at your … at Valjean’s flat. If not, I see it as my duty to inform the public health authority.”

 

“No Monsieur, you are right, we have one, but …” Javert had to admit that the girl really looked as lost as anybody could look, even in her common surroundings.

 

“… but the Claire, the woman who is always looking after me when my Papa is at work, isn’t here today. I don’t know why. And I have no key.”

 

“You are not going to pi – pee in my bathroom, Mademoiselle!”

 

Javert noticed how the girl let her gaze helplessly wander around in the corridor.

 

“And you surely aren’t going to do that in the corridor either. I would have to arrest you for indecent behavior.”

 

The blonde girl looked mockingly up at him. “I am seven.”

 

“Well played, girl.”

 

For about ten seconds, none of the two figures moved and glared at each other.

 

“ _Please?!_ ” Cosette then whined and Javert gave in to those huge, blue eyes.

 

“For Heaven’s sake, come in but be quick, alright?”

 

Cosette nodded eagerly and hurried in the direction Javert pointed with his uninjured arm. Javert closed the door and shook his head. The girl was brave, that much was sure. To knock on his door two days after he had shouted at her … at Valjean, was quite something for a seven-year-old.

 

And suddenly Javert was well aware of the fact, that he had let another human being into his flat. That hadn’t happened since … Javert couldn’t remember. A long time, that much was sure. And, most importantly, that person was the adopted girl of an ex-convict. The questioned his own sanity over his behavior.

 

The toilet flush and the running water which followed snapped Javert back out of his trance. He fixed the bathroom door with stern eyes until it opened and Cosette came out, her backpack dawn across her shoulder. The girl tiptoed her way to the door and looked absolutely ridiculous while doing so. Furthermore, she needed way more time than necessary.

 

“What do you think you are doing, Mademoiselle?” Javert asked the girl when she crept past him.

 

Cosette looked almost frightened up at him.

“I’m trying to make as little noise as possible” she whispered.

 

Javert couldn’t help the slight curl of his lips as he heard her.

 

“Listen … Cosette, right?”

 

The small girl nodded eagerly.

 

“I really didn’t mean what I said the other day, alright? Well, of course there is no need for running around in the staircase shouting but maybe I was a bit too harsh. I had a bad day that day. So there is no need to tiptoe the staircase up and down all your further life.”

 

Cosette smiled at the inspector.

 

“Thank you Monsieur.” But suddenly a frown clouded her face. “Why did you have a bad day?”

 

“Well, it was due to work.”

 

“Papa said you are a policeman.”

 

“That’s correct.”

 

“So you catch the bad guys?”

 

Javert nodded. “Usually yes. But one of the bad guys escaped that day. But before that, he shot me. That’s why I might have been a bit … rude.”

 

Cosette nodded, her brows knitted together and her tongue darting over her lips, she thought the whole story over.

 

“I guess I’d be grumpy too if that happened to me” She finally announced. “Does it still hurt?”

 

“The gunshot wound?” Javert drew his eyebrows up while Cosette nodded.

 

“I hardly think that this is an appropriate matter for a conversation with a little girl” Javert tried to avoid the subject. In fact, his wound already started pounding again as the painkillers were slowly losing their effect.

 

“I am seven” Cosette emphasized angrily.

Javert remembered vaguely that one of his officers had told his colleagues about his daughter, who always wanted to be older than she actually was. The inspector thought it was ridiculous.

 

“Yes, you mentioned this already, young lady.”

 

Cosette started laughing. Javert thought that there might be the slight possibility that he was hallucinating due to the painkillers. This little girl stood in his flat, they talked and she laughed about what he had just said! That was just too much for Javert to take. He had to regain his composure and reestablish the natural order – which meant that people were afraid of him.

 

“Well Mademoiselle, what are we going to do now about the problem with your locked flat? You surely can’t stay in mine all day until Valjean decides to arrive.”

 

Cosette took again her thinking-posture, as Javert had named it silently. After a few moments, it seemed that the girl had come up with some solution.

 

“We can go and find my Papa and fetch his key.”

 

Javert shook his head. “What exactly do you mean with ‘ _we_ ’?”

 

“I’m not allowed to go into the city on my own. I am still too small.” Cosette lectured.

 

“I thought you were already seven” Javert added mockingly.

 

Cosette rolled her eyes as if Javert was missing the most obvious thing in the world. Javert felt oddly amused by it.

 

“Yes, I am but Paris is much too dangerous for me alone as my Papa always says. If I go with an adult it is okay.”

 

“I have to admit that your father is right about that, you should never walk through the city without an adult. And if it’s the only possibility to get you safely out of my apartment, I guess we are going to look for Valjean. Where does he work?

 

“In the _Bois de Boulogne_.”

 

Javert got a coughing fit.

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

“What you really have to learn is that you don’t keep the most important details from people who want to help you, _Mademoiselle_!”

 

Javert didn’t know if he should be angry with the girl who dangled from his unharmed arm or if he should be amused. Right in front of them they saw Valjean bent over a flowerbed and planting violas.

That Cosette didn’t let go of his arm again was another thing. The girl had insisted that Javert had taken her small hand in his as they were about to cross a street. Even though Javert ensured her, that nothing would happen to her, she still refused to go without holding the inspectors hand. Not even his proposition of regulating the traffic himself which meant that he would debase himself with the actions of a traffic policeman helped. So he had given in and taken Cosette’s hand. The thing was that she hadn’t let go of it ever since.

 

“Why? I told you that Papa is working here. What did you think he was doing?”

 

Javert let that question go unanswered. He doubted that Cosette would go back to it because she was already running towards Valjean shouting a few ‘Papa’s along the way. Javert slowly trotted behind her.

 

Valjean turned around and Cosette immediately flung herself in Valjean’s arms. Valjean smiled.

 

… And then he saw Javert. His facial expression changed immediately and not for the better.

 

“What happened, Cosette?”

 

“Nothing” the girl shrugged.

 

“I wouldn’t quite agree with that, young Lady.”

 

Valjean let his gaze wander between both of them and it was plain to see that he couldn’t judge the situation at all.

 

“Monsieur Javert had gotten shot Papa, did you know? This is why he was so grumpy the other day.”

 

“Oh” Valjean got up from his knees and faced Javert, “I’m really sorry to hear that, Javert. Can we do anything to help?” He wiped his dirty hands in a cloth.

 

“That’s completely off the point. Your … daughter … No Cosette, you tell him.”

 

“Claire wasn’t here today.” The girl stated.

 

“What do you mean she wasn’t there?” Valjean seemed truly disturbed. “She wasn’t at our flat? You were alone?”

 

Cosette nodded and Valjean sighed.

 

“… And …” Cosette looked down at her hands, “… and I needed to … use the bathroom and … so I knocked at Javerts apartment and asked him.”

 

Valjean looked from his adopted daughter to Javert in disbelieve. But as he saw Javert’s stern expression he knew it must be true and Valjean obviously thought it immensely funny. He did a very poor job hiding it, Javert thought.

 

Valjean cleared his throat. “Well Javert, thank you very much for … helping out.”

The smile was still tugging at Valjean’s lips.

 

“And now we are here to get your key so that I don’t disturb Javert anymore” Cosette continued.

 

“But Cosette, you can’t be all on your own in our flat, you’re still too young.”

 

The girl sighed. Obviously she was fed up with the fact that she was too young for everything funny. So she sat down on the grass defiantly.

 

“Dear God, where do I get a new nanny from? It was hard enough to find this  … well, not too trustful one.” Valjean scratched his head. “Maybe Mademoiselle Donat will look after you for a few days …”

 

Cosette sprang to her feet as if a snake had bit her. Her eyes were wide open and she violently shook her head. “No.”

 

“Cosette please, don’t be difficult now, I need to finish my work.”

 

“NO.” The girl crossed her arms in front of her chest. Javert somehow felt as if he was witnessing something that he really shouldn’t.

 

“Okay young lady”, Valjean stated, “why not?”

 

“Because I don’t like her …”

 

“And why is that?”

 

“Because she always pinches my cheek. I hate it when people do this. And she smells far too much of this sweet stuff. And her shoes always make too much noise. And she is only nice to me when you are there. I think she only wants to marry you.” Cosette nodded approvingly of her own speech.

 

Valjean looked half amused and half desperate down on his daughter. “I hardly think she wants that, Cosette.” Still, Javert witnessed the slight blush on Valjean’s cheeks.

 

‘ _She might want something else then …_ ’ Javert thought amused. Of course, he didn’t let it show.

 

“Javert can look after me.”

A simple statement which made both adults yelp “What?”

 

“Yes, Javert can’t go to work because of his wound and so he needs to stay at home” Cosette explained. Javert scolded himself for telling her that on their way to the park.

 

“And I need somebody to look after me, and he is bored. It’s perfect.” Cosette clapped her hands excitedly.

 

Javert inwardly sighed. 

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

“Javert?”

 

Javert looked up from the pile of papers in front of him. He worked himself through the notes on the current cases one of his officers had e-mailed him. If the Chief knew about this or not he didn’t know or care for. Javert was busy writing his remarks and improvements on the pages when Cosette’s voice distracted him. Both of them were sitting in Javert’s apartment and the inspector was fulfilling his job as a babysitter. He was only thankful that none of his colleagues visited him. With the girl around, his reputation as a stern and grim policeman without any social bonds would have suffered immensely.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Can we go to the park now?” Cosette beamed up at him. No doubt she was referring to the park her father was currently working in.

 

“Did you do your homework?” Javert knew that the homework in the second year of primary schools wasn’t all too difficult to deal with, but still he saw no reason for being soft about it with Cosette. Better she learned to fulfill her duty before enjoying herself soon enough.

 

“Yes I did … I read the text twice and then answered the questions. It wasn’t too hard.” Javert shook his head and his lips curled into the tiniest of smiles. As soon as he realized it, he immediately put on his stern face again.

 

“Well Mademoiselle, then let’s go.” The two of them had made it a habit that when Cosette was finished doing her homework, they went for a walk and sometimes visited Valjean. Strangely enough, Javert found pleasure in walking around with the little girl various parks and listen to her stories about school and the adventures her dolls and plush toys went through. Cosette didn’t mind that Javert didn’t respond to each and every thing she told him, she simply kept on explaining and somehow it relaxed Javert and made him happy. Not that he would have admitted it openly.

 

With Valjean he had silently agreed on some sort of truce.

Well, Javert had. Valjean had been all too nice along the way anyhow. It was suspicious. Maybe he was up to something. Javert stayed cautious, just in case.

 

On a usual day, Cosette would come to Javert’s flat after school, sometimes, Javert had to cook. At first, Valjean had been highly skeptical of the cooking skills of the inspector, but Javert had proven him wrong. “Just because I don’t cook regularly doesn’t mean that I lack the ability all together”, Javert had explained and Valjean had risen his hands in defense. Later on, he had labeled Javert’s food ‘not too bad’ and Javert had only snorted. At least Cosette had been pleased.

 

The next thing was that Javert had no idea of what children wanted to eat. He had never been confronted with such problems and never thought that he would be one day. So he had asked Cosette. But after one week with pasta and pizza Javert decided that it was enough. So he tried his best to cook something that the kid liked and was still a bit healthy. He even caught himself google some receipts. The second after he had realized what he was doing, he had smashed the laptop shut and shook his head. What the hell had become of him?

 

After lunch, Cosette was allowed half an hour of TV, as Valjean had informed Javert. The inspector found out though, that Cosette was much more interested in him telling her about his work … which was difficult enough. Hardly anything was suitable for the ears of a seven-year-old. So he played a few cases down and exaggerated others, for example why one should always pay his tickets (if she asked about stuff like that, why not telling her something she could transform into practical use). No matter how boring Javert’s stories were (even to his own ears) the girl always wanted more information about everything. Javert briefly wondered, if he was already having an impact on Cosette.

 

Then, it was homework time which was followed by a walk. Today, they were visiting Valjean again, Cosette dangling from Javert’s arm all the way and carrying a plush dog in her other arm. The toy was far too big for Javert’s liking, but Cosette insisted on taking ' _Filou_ ' with her. Javert had inwardly rolled his eyes as he had learned about the name. As Cosette kept talking to the dog about not crossing the street alone et cetera, and always asked for Javert’s approval, he didn’t find the name that disturbing anymore.

 

They settled onto a bench and Cosette looked around if her father could be found anywhere.

 

“I’m sure he’ll be here soon, Cosette” Javert tried to soothe the girl.

 

“But he said he would be working here …” Cosette said defiantly.

 

“Yes well, maybe something has come up.” Javert hoped that it was that way – and that the matter was concerning flowers or whatever plants. Valjean had never been late.

 

“What? An emergency daisy-case?”

 

Javert couldn’t suppress his chuckle. If Valjean was involved, the girl didn’t take a joke.

 

“That we are spending time together does not mean that you should adopt my sarcasm, Mademoiselle.”

 

Cosette looked up at him and stuck her blonde locks behind her ear. “I think you are funny.”

 

“Well, you’re rather alone with that assumption.”

 

“No, Papa thinks you are funny too.” Cosette grinned.

 

“I’m pretty sure funny is not the word he would use to describe me” Javert started but suddenly an ambulance drove past them. Cosette immediately looked scared to death. She looked at Javert wide-eyed.

 

“What if …” she started but Javert shushed her.

 

“Cosette, I’m sure this is not about your father.”

 

“But … we have to look.” As soon as she had finished she jumped off the bench and hurried in the direction the ambulance was driving.

 

“ _COSETTE_!”

 

The girl immediately stilled and looked at the inspector, who tried to keep his composure. Somehow he felt like the girl – what if Valjean was involved in … whatever this was about. Somehow he had the feeling that the man did have something to do with it.

 

“There is no need to lose your nerves over this. Take F – your dog and then we can go over there like decent citizens and not like a herd of cattle.”

 

Cosette slowly walked over to the bench again, took her dog and whispered some excuses into the toy’s ear.

 

“Leaving _Filou_ here would have been foolish …” Cosette whispered and Javert nodded.

 

“Very foolish. One must never take hasty action without thinking beforehand, young Lady. Now, take my hand and we will walk over there, alright?”

 

Javert didn’t know if he was trying to calm Cosette or himself. Probably both.

While walking in the direction where the ambulance had disappeared, Javert was asking himself why this affected him so much. It was Valjean for God’s sake! … Maybe it was only because he feared that Cosette would have to go to another foster home then. The child had really been through enough already.

 

Neither Cosette nor Javert realized how their steps quickened as they got closer and closer to the scene of the happening. And suddenly they saw it:

A circle of people on the edge of an area of trees, paramedics who climbed out of the emergency vehicle and Valjean right in the middle of it. Javert held his breath until he realized that the man was standing. This was good.

 

“Look Cosette, there’s your father. He’s walking over to the ambulance so I’m sure he’s fine.”

 

“I can’t see anything!” the girl whined hysterically.

 

Javert sighed and held his arms out and Cosette jumped up at him. The man hissed at the sudden pressure on his injured arm and somehow maneuvered Cosette into the other.

 

“I’m sorry Javert, I didn’t think of …” the blonde started apologetically but Javert shook his head.

 

“It’s okay.”

 

“But … what if I hurt you again?” A single tear rolled down her beautiful face and Javert really felt sorry for the girl. It was just too much for her.

 

“I’m fine Cosette, really. And the ambulance is right there if I need help, alright? Now, could you do me a favor?”

 

The girl nodded eagerly.

 

“Okay, then please move so you can look over my shoulder.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because we’re going down there now and I don’t want you to see what happened before I haven’t checked. You are going to your father then and I need to make sure of the details of this happening.” Javert started walking as soon as Cosette laid her head on his shoulder and buried her nose in his neck. “It seems that the police isn’t capable of arriving at a crime scene when necessary.”

 

“Is it a crime?” Cosette whispered, her head still buried in Javert’s neck.

 

“Well, one can never know what this is …”

 

They arrived at the location and Javert first had to make his way through the gawping people before he had a better view of the scene. He heard a few people whispering ‘ _I saw it, he held that thing with his bare hands …_ ’ Javert didn’t even have to guess who those statements were concerning. Valjean’s strength was legendary amongst the police.

 

As he and the girl on his arm approached further, he saw that the paramedics were putting a gardener (as the man wore the same clothes as Valjean) on a stretcher. One of the ambulance men wanted him to step back, he introduced himself as inspector Javert and that he, in absence of other policemen, would deal with the witnesses.

 

This was, when Valjean’s attention was directed towards them. The second he heard Javert’s voice he jumped up, leaving a confused paramedic who had tended do a wound on his arm behind, and sprinted over. Javert was more than thankful that he could hand Cosette over to her father who was obviously well … apart from the scrape on his arm. And the torn T-shirt. No, Javert would pay no attention to that, or so he told himself.

 

“Javert what …” Valjean started but he only handed Cosette over and said, “Please tell her, that you are okay …” which Valjean did and asked no further questions.

 

Then Javert started to collect statements of the witnesses and learned that the gardener who was injured now was trying to cut down a tree. The tree however fell down in a complete twisted angle and crushed the man’s legs. Valjean, who had worked a bit further apart, had been running over and lifting the tree as if it were nothing and called the ambulance. That was when finally, Javert’s colleagues from the police department arrived and he handed them his notes while complaining about the late arrival. The two young policemen, whose names Javert couldn’t remember as they had only started working in Paris about a month ago, were more than apologetic and immediately tended to their work. One of the officers however first pointed at Javert’s arm.

 

“Maybe you should let the paramedics examine your arm again, inspector.”

 

Javert looked down on his shirtsleeve and found it blood-stained. He sighed and turned to the ambulance where he found Valjean sitting with Cosette carefully turned away from the injured man. He constantly stroke over Cosette’s hair and whispered something obviously soothing into her ear.

 

“Inspector Javert, how is it that you always find your way to a … well, crime scene is hardly the appropriate word here, let’s say, scenes of unusual happenings?” one of the paramedics who Javert recognized as the one who had already tended to his arm after the shooting about two weeks ago.

 

“They find me” Javert growled.

 

The young man smiled and waved his head at the ambulance vehicle. “Sit down. I see what I can do.”

 

Javert hissed silently as his shirtsleeve was cut open and removed.

 

“Oh dear, the wound has opened again.” The paramedic wrinkled his forehead. “But I think I can fix it here. No need to go to hospital.”

 

Javert snorted, “That would be even better! Going there again and waiting another two hours!”

 

“I somehow imagined that the thought might displease you” the young man answered smugly. Javert only rolled his eyes.

 

“I’m afraid that this means at least another week of rest for you inspector” the paramedic announced while bandaging the wound on Javert’s arm. Javert groaned. Surely, the two policemen who were doubtlessly eavesdropping were running right to the Chief with that information. “Do you need painkillers, inspector?”

 

“Jesus, _no_. Leave me alone with that stuff” he replied grumpily.

 

As he was released the first thing he saw was Cosette on Valjean’s arm, her face buried in her plush dog. Valjean had deep wrinkles on his forehead and walked closer.

 

“Are you okay?” he asked hesitantly.

 

Javert chuckled, “Asks the guy who lifted a tree.”

 

Valjean grinned and shrugged which looked really clumsy with Cosette on his arm. Cosette still didn’t look at him. Javert was already asking himself what he had done wrong. Surely, it might not have been the best idea to take Cosette straight to the happening, but she would have been running to her father anyhow. And he had even assured, that she hadn’t witnessed anything, well visibly. That was something that he thought very foreseeing from his side.

 

Thankfully, Valjean set things straight again. “See Cosette, he is fine. He is even making fun of me again.”

 

Cosette turned her head in the direction of the inspector but didn’t remove the dog from her face. Needless to say, Javert thought it to be the most ridiculous thing on earth.

 

“Are you still bleeding?” Cosette wanted to know and Javert negated. Cosette immediately jumped down from her father’s arm, threw her dog away, ran over to Javert (which was only a few steps anyway) and hugged his legs. Javert was almost knocked off the ground – both, physically and emotionally. His confused expression wandered down to the girl, then up to Valjean and then down to Cosette again.

 

“I’m so sorry I hurt you Javert, I didn’t mean to …” Cosette whined and hugged his legs even closer.

 

“Cosette!” Javert tried but the girl refused to let go. Concluding to the ridiculous grin on Valjean’s face there wouldn’t be any help from his side.

 

“Cosette please let my legs go, just for a minute.”

 

The girl loosened her grip and so Javert was able to kneel down.

 

“It wasn’t your fault, alright? I should have thought of the wound but … I was too distracted, I forgot. So it is really not you who is to blame for this.” He tried to smile at the girl who was looking at him intently with wet blue eyes.

 

“So you acted without thinking beforehand” Cosette concluded and Javert nodded. “But … It is a very foolish thing to do. You told me that” she said accusingly.

 

Now Javert had to laugh. “It is, my arm is the proof for that. But sometimes you can’t help it. The trick is not to make a habit out of it, alright?”

 

Cosette nodded. “So you still like me then?”

 

Javert grinned, “Of course. What a question!” Cosette smiled and pressed a little kiss on Javert’s cheek. Javert had already thought that Thénardier’s bullet had caught him off guard, but this gesture was a whole different league with at least ten times more force.

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

Javert gripped the staircase railing tightly, with his uninjured hand, of course.

“I really don’t think that this is necessary” he grumbled.

 

“I think it is” Cosette cheered and hopped towards their apartment door. All the discomfort of the happening of the past day seemed to be forgotten.

 

“I too think it is Javert.” Valjean smiled that damnable smile at him again, his shirt still hanging open where the tree had obviously torn it. Javert was sure this image would haunt him, no matter how hard he fought it. “That’s the least we can do for you. The last thing on earth I would want you to do now is to cook for yourself with your arm.”

 

“I have some convenience food” Javert answered and immediately thought that the comment was ridiculous.

 

“That’s even worse,” Valjean grinned. “Okay, I’ll try again: Javert, after all you’ve done for us today, Cosette and me, we would be glad if you joined us for dinner tonight. What do you say?”

 

Javert took a deep breath and capitulated. “Yes, why not.”

 

Valjean smiled and Cosette started bouncing up and down again.

 

“I’m looking forward to that. Let’s say half past seven, at our place?”

 

Javert only nodded, went into his flat and sighed. Now he was even having dinner with the ex-convict and his daughter. What on earth had become of him?

 

*****

Javert waited until the clock hand of his watch moved from 07:29 to 07:30, then he took a deep breath and knocked onto the apartment door of Valjean – of course not without asking himself why he was even doing this. He had always looked after Cosette in his own apartment because he wanted to avoid getting too close to the world of an ex-convict and now he was willingly accepting an invitation for dinner. … Maybe this could count as investigation …

 

Javert’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an opening door and a second later Cosette beamed up at him. “Hello.”

 

“Good evening Cosette.” He knew this greeting was stupid but he didn’t know what else to say. Sure, Cosette stayed with him almost every day now, but this was different. It was more … formal.

 

“What is that?!” Cosette pointed curiously at the bottle in Javert’s hand.

 

“Oh, this … um, I figured I should bring something along and I still had this bottle of wine. Well, I don’t have anything for you I suppose but … I’ll buy you some ice tea next time you come and visit me, okay?”

 

Cosette nodded eagerly, “Lemon please.”

 

Javert grinned. “Lemon it is then.”

 

The girl smiled and opened the door for Javert. As he stepped in, he first took in the flat which looked really nice and friendly, he had to admit. Also, Cosette’s presence was underlined by various plush toys sitting on the floor. Just as on command, Valjean appeared in a doorframe to what seemed to be the kitchen.

 

“Cosette, I told you to take the animals to your room. Could you please do that now, even if our guest is already here?”

 

“Yes Papa” Cosette said and started to collect them, not without a little pout directed towards her father.

 

“Welcome Inspector, to our ... well, a bit chaotic home. But we didn’t expect any guests until about one and a half hour ago.” Valjean smiled and looked way too good for Javert’s liking.

 

He cleared his throat. “Well, thanks for the invitation. … I …” Javert looked helplessly at the bottle in his hand. He just wasn’t good at this socializing stuff. “I brought you this. I hope you like it … Well, I had nothing to bring along for Cosette I’m afraid …”

 

Valjean’ grin even widened as he took the bottle. “Why thank you Javert. But this really wasn’t necessary, I … You’re already doing so much for us. This invitation has been long overdue …”

 

Javert already wanted to say something, even though he wasn’t quite sure himself what it should be – he was getting too distracted by the muscles that were not too-well hidden under that black shirt Valjean was wearing – as Cosette hopped into the corridor again.

 

“If you drink wine, what do I get?” She looked accusingly at the two men standing there and staring awkwardly at each other.

 

“I tell you what: I’ll make you something that looks exactly like our wine … and you get the same glass as we do, okay?” Valjean proposed and Cosette seemed content enough. At least she pulled Javert into her room and introduced him to every doll and every toy she possessed. The inspector was really thankful when Valjean called both of them to the table.

 

“Papa has made his lasagna” Cosette needlessly informed Javert as both approached the other man who put the dish onto the prepared plates on the kitchen-table. Javert realized that the ex-convict looked rather awkward with a pot cloth and a spatula hovering lasagna around. Still, Javert couldn’t help but again notice the utter attractiveness of the man. And the ripped shirt came to his mind again. Damn, he knew it! Quickly, Javert shook his head.

 

“It’s good.”

 

“Pardon?” Javert looked down at Cosette.

 

“The lasagna, it’s good!” Cosette grinned.

 

“That’s only because you have never eaten anyone’s lasagna but mine” Valjean addressed Cosette and grinned. Javert had to admit though that it really smelled deliciously.

 

“I still think it’s good. And it will be my favorite … No matter how much others I might eat.” Cosette hopped over to her chair and sat at the table.

 

Valjean only grinned. “That’s very kind of you, ma petite. … Please Javert, take a seat.”

 

The inspector sat down on the chair Valjean pointed at with open arms while the other man got the bottle of wine from the kitchen counter and filled both of their glasses. Cosette already opened her mouth to announce some protest but Valjean already held her glass up and placed it in front of her. Javert had to admit that it really looked like wine … only a bit thinner.

 

“Thank you.” Cosette beamed.

 

“You’re welcome.” Valjean grinned. Cosette proudly pointed at her glass while Javert only nodded. What on earth would you say in a situation like this, really? “Well then, bon appetite” Valjean announced.

 

Javert caught himself being happy to have something to do at all – and be it stuffing food in his mouth. He constantly got reminded of the fact that he usually avoided such invitations as he had no idea of the next step. He knew he should say something, more so regarding the friendly look on Valjean’s face, but what?

 

Thankfully, the lasagna helped him out of his lack of conversation topics. “Mhm, that’s … really delicious Valjean.”

 

“Told you so …” Cosette mumbled with a full mouth but fell silent after Valjean’s stern look. Javert grinned … When had he started to smile that much? And, furthermore, since when did words like ‘delicious’ enrich his active vocabulary?

 

Valjean’s grin broadened into a smiled, “I’m happy that you like it, Javert.”

 

“Papa?” Cosette interrupted, this time with no lasagna in her mouth.

 

“Yes Cosette?”

 

“Ah, no … Javert?” The girl looked from her father to him and he raised his eyebrows in response.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Why do you call Papa by his last name?”

 

Javert chocked a bit on his lasagna and took a sip of the wine.

 

“Cosette that’s hardly …” Valjean started but Javert raised his hand. “May I?” the inspector asked carefully and Valjean only waved his hand in approval.

 

“Listen Cosette, your … Papa and I, we have already met in the past. And … let’s put it this way: We weren’t as … domestic, as this is now. So we stayed with the last names.”

 

“I see …” Cosette munched on a bit of salad and her position reminded Javert already of her thinking posture. “What’s your first name?” she finally asked.

 

“I uh …” Javert didn’t know when he last stated his given name. Probably while filling in some forms. “My name’s Mathieu.”

 

“Oh, really? I didn’t know that” Valjean dropped in and examined him thoroughly; “I think it really fits you.”

 

Javert raised one eyebrow at that one and Valjean only grinned, “Why don’t you … well, use it more often?” Valjean chuckled.

 

“I think it’s too … informal for most situations I’m in. And I don’t particularly like it.”

Javert was well aware of the terrain he was approaching. It was something that he tried to cover all his life.

 

“Why not? It’s a pretty name” Cosette asked with wide und disbelieving eyes.

 

“I …” Javert found himself a loss of words, “I don’t want to talk about this right now. And you probably don’t want to hear it anyway.” Javert looked down at his plate.

 

“But …” Cosette started but was shushed by Valjean.

 

“If Javert doesn’t want to talk about it, you have to accept that, _ma petite_. Now, go eat your lasagna.”

 

In that very moment, Javert felt something like gratefulness towards the ex-convict. He knew how nosy Cosette could be and he was sure that he hadn’t heard the end of that. Still, he preferred that today wasn’t confession day, so to speak.

 

“But” Cosette whispered and leaned towards Valjean – which was ridiculous because he sat opposite of the girl, “I want to know why he hates his name.”

 

To say Javert felt mortified in that very moment would have been an understatement. So again, he fixed his eyes on his food, but could see from the corner of his eye as Valjean put a finger to his lips and shook his head.

 

“Javert?” Cosette asked again which caused the inspector to take a deep breath and look at the girl.

 

“What is it Cosette?”

 

“Maybe you could help me find a name for my puppy.” She grinned widely at him and Valjean sighed and ran a hand over his eyes.

 

“Your puppy?!” Javert asked a bit flabbergasted.

 

“Yes, the puppy that my Papa is going to give to me.” The girl seemed absolutely thrilled and rocked back and forth on her chair. Javert asked himself if the dog would make too much noise, tear everything in pieces and do his business in the corridor … most likely in front of his apartment door.

 

“Cosette, I did not yet agree to that yet. We have to think that through properly, having a dog is a huge responsibility!”

 

As Cosette started a speech of her own where she repeated about one million times that at the age of seven, one was absolutely capable of owning a dog, Javert was more than grateful for the change of subject.

 

*****

 

“Good night Javert, it was really a nice evening. Don’t you think?”

 

Valjean had guided him to the door (as if he wouldn’t find his way out of the apartment himself) and again smiled brightly at him. Javert was already sure that that smile would be the end of him. The smile combined with the image of the ripped shirt and the cologne Valjean had obviously put on.

 

“Y-Yes … Yes”, he stuttered, “Very nice. … Thanks for the invitation.” He forced himself to grin.

 

“You’re more than welcome. As I said, it really has been long overdue. And regarding what you are doing for Cosette and me, it is really us, who have to thank you.”

 

Valjean shook the inspector’s hand and touched his shoulder lightly. Javert was sure the hand had left a burn. At least it felt like it.

 

“If you say so …” he mumbled, called his goodbye to Cosette, who reminded him of the lemon ice tea and then he crossed the corridor to his flat. Once inside, he let his hand travel over his shoulder which had been touched by Valjean. Javert could still smell the cologne.

 

“I’m damned.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

 

“NO!”

 

Javert had already changed from sighing only inwardly to doing so openly.

 

“But Cosette, you have to go to bed. NOW!”

 

“I am not tired yet!”

 

Damn Valjean and his further training or whatever that was. Now he was stuck with a stubborn seven-year-old who refused quite successfully to go to bed – for already half an hour. Javert couldn’t believe himself what he was doing, but he started to give in.

 

“Okay young Mademoiselle, you have no school tomorrow so I don’t care. I’m not your father and so it is not my topmost obligation to tuck you in. … What do you want to do?”

 

The predictable thinking posture followed.

 

“I wanna go for a walk!” Cosette finally announced happily.

 

Javert had to admit that it wasn’t such a bad idea at all. Maybe the girl would get tired along the way and then hop into bed all on her own.

 

“Okay, we will go for a walk but … _STOP Cosette_!” Javert raised his voice only rarely when he looked after the blonde, but as she already started to sprint towards the door, Javert saw no other option. And it was effective. The girl stopped dead in her tracks.

 

“Now, I said we will go for a walk but we will do that in a civilized way … And you have to put on a jacket. It’s already dark outside and it’s not yet that warm. Understood?!”

 

“Deal!” Cosette beamed up at Javert and raised her outstretched thumb up to him. Then she went quietly towards the door and put on her shoes and the jacket. Javert only shook his head and put on his own. When he was done Cosette’s outstretched arm was already waiting for him. So both went down the stairs holding hands – and were greeted with a few quite surprised glances of other occupants. Javert only snorted at them.

 

 

“What are you looking at?”

 

Javert tore his gaze from the sky and looked down at the blonde girl tangling from his arm. This was becoming a habit now, as Javert realized.

 

“The stars” he answered absentmindedly.

 

“Why?” Cosette looked curiously up at him.

 

“Because of their beauty … And because they serve as guardians somehow. I like that very much.”

 

“Why guardians? That is something like in foster homes, right?” Cosette seemed really terrified all of a sudden which broke Javert’s heart. Sometimes, really only rarely, he secretly doubted the system he was so keen on upholding.

 

He stopped and knelt down, facing Cosette. “No Cosette, it’s nothing like that. It’s … For example, when you are out on the sea, in a boat … or on a field, somewhere, you can find your way back home due to the stars. If you know how to read them, that is.”

 

Cosette’s eyes grew big and she whispered, “Can you do that, read them?”

 

Javert grinned and nodded.

 

“Can you teach me?” the girl asked still barely above a whisper and the inspector nodded.

 

“Sure, but we’ll have to go somewhere else for that. Here in the city, you don’t see the stars well enough. It’s due to the city lights … and the huge buildings.”

 

Javert stood up again and held his arm out for the girl, who took it, somehow mesmerized.

 

“How does one start with reading the stars Javert? Like reading books?” Cosette wanted to know eagerly.

 

Javert smiled slightly, “Well, yes indeed. Somehow one can compare it. Before you actually start reading them, you have to know … let’s say, the letters. You can’t read a book without knowing the alphabet, right?”

 

Cosette giggled and shook her head.

 

“Well, and it’s the same with astronomy. You have to know certain stars and constellations first and then you are able to use them for orientation. So when you know them, we can go somewhere … out of Paris, at least, look at the night sky and you can try reading them.”

 

“Oh yes! Let’s do that!” Cosette beamed and Javert was surprised how easily children could get motivated. “But …” Cosette stopped her speech for a short moment, “… do you think Papa can come with us too? I promise I will study really hard.”

 

Thinking of Valjean in the moonlight made a shiver run down Javert’s spine. He quickly focused on the traffic light in front of them. “Sure, if he has time he can join us. Why do you ask?”

 

“Because … Papa once said that you didn’t get along very well” Cosette inched forward.

 

Javert paused at the traffic light and sighed. “That had been in the past, Cosette.”

_Wait! Did that really just leave his mouth?! What on earth was becoming of him?_

 

The traffic light changed to green and both of them crossed the street.

 

“So you say that you are no longer angry with him?” Cosette asked once they had arrived at the other side.

 

If it only would be that easy, “Of course I am still angry with him. I don’t know what Valjean has told you about his past, but only so much: What he did was very stupid … And I am a police inspector and it is my duty to prevent such stupid things. Therefore, I am still angry with him. But, on the other hand, he is looking really well after you. And if he behaves well, I think my … enragement with him will ebb away … eventually.”

 

What a speech. Javert wasn’t sure how long it had been since he had talked that much outside of his job. Probably never. And, even more frightening for him, he really meant what he had said.

 

“So if I tell my Papa to be good, you two will get friends, yes?” Cosette asked hopefully.

 

“Probably.”

 

“Good. That’s good” Cosette muttered and both went home in silence, each one lost in his or her own thoughts.

 

 

“Well Cosette, ready for bed?”

 

The blonde girl nodded eagerly, already dressed in her pajamas and went over to her bed where Javert was waiting. Both had gone directly into Valjean’s apartment after their walk as Cosette seemed already really tired. Cosette slipped under the sheets.

 

“You already brushed your teeth?”

 

Cosette nodded and yawned.

 

“Good. Well then, good night Cosette. I’ll stay here until your Papa is arriving, alright?”

 

Javert was already halfway out of the door when the seven-year-old called out for him.

 

“Javert? Can you tell me a story?”

 

The inspector stopped dead in his tracks. “ _Pardon?!_ ”

 

“Papa always tells me a story before going to sleep.”

 

“You are a big girl Cosette, I’m sure you can manage without for one night.”

 

“Please?” Cosette whispered and Javert sighed. A story? Where on earth should he get a story from? His mother never told him one and he had never been keen on reading fairy tales.

 

Still, the inspector went over and sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m not good at this, I warn you …” he announced but Cosette only grinned, “I will tell you if you are or not.”

 

As she snuggled closer to her plush dog, Javert looked around in the room to find a suitable object for a bed-time story. With all the dolls and toys lying around it really shouldn’t be that difficult.

 

“Well … Once upon a time there was a little girl” he started and immediately thought that this was stupid. Cosette wasn’t dumb, she would know where this ended, “… with uh, blonde locks. She didn’t have a home … and … went through a lot of awful things. … Ahem, well one day she decided to change that and … ran away. And on her way she … had to cross a wood where a … a bad witch tried to keep her and make her work so that the witch didn’t have to do everything herself. But … one day a prince came along …”

 

“You mean a king …” Cosette corrected.

 

“What?!”

 

“A king came along.”

 

“Right, okay. A king came along and saved her. And he … took her to his castle and …” Yes, and what?!

 

“And he adopted her and allowed her to keep a puppy.” Cosette beamed which made Javert grin.

 

“Yes, that. A puppy, right. But the king himself was lonely and as one day a … fair young woman came along … he um …”

 

“… he sent her away … after he had given her something to eat for her further journey.”

 

“What? Why?! You’re not getting the point of the story, Mademoiselle.”

 

“But …” Cosette suddenly leaned closer and whispered, “… what if the King doesn’t want to marry a woman?”

 

Javert thought he might pass out right then and there on the rose blanket with lilac unicorns on it. Yes, Cosette was definitely getting the point of the story.

 

“Well uhm … then he just doesn’t, I guess. Maybe he wasn’t so lonely after all because … yes, he adopted the girl with the blonde locks. And they lived happily ever after. End of story.”

 

“No.”

 

“No?”

 

“No. The King was lonely sometimes because the girl often played with her puppy, which was a Labrador retriever and very fluffy.” Cosette lectured.

 

“Of course, how could I have missed that part of the story?” Javert rolled his eyes.

 

“I don’t know. Well, so the King was sometimes lonely until he got a new leader of his army who was very keen on his job and sometimes a bit grumpy. But one day he got injured and the King helped him and they fell in love and kissed and married and lived with the girl and the puppy. End. Good night.”

 

Javert only raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “Good night Cosette.”

 

Just as the inspector was about to get off the bed, a tiny hand wrapped around his wrist. “Did you mean that?”

 

“Did I mean what? The story …?!”

 

Cosette only shook her head. “No, today, as you said you are not my father. Did you mean that?”

 

Javert sighed. In the future he needed to be more careful what he said to the girl. “Well, in fact, I am not … But that doesn’t mean that I don’t like you Cosette. Valjean isn’t your biological father either and still loves you very, very much.”

 

“What is a biological father?”

 

“Uhm … You know, somebody who is related to you, a blood-relative. Your Papa adopted you which means that he is not blood-related but he is still highly attached to you and loves you … and so he decided to take the responsibility for you.” As he saw Cosette’s doubting look, he added quickly, “Should I tell you a secret?”

 

The blonde nodded. “Sometimes the adoptive parents are the best. I’m pretty sure it is the case with your Papa. … Of course your mother was a good and caring one as well” he quickly added. Christ, this was getting complicated.

 

Cosette smiled sadly and nodded again. “Can you adopt me?”

 

Javert coughed, “Uh … No, well, you are already adopted, right? Besides, there is no need, right? I live next door, every time you want to see me, you can knock on my door.”

 

“Really?!”

 

“Sure.”

 

Cosette smiled and gave Javert a quick kiss on the cheek. “Good night” she mumbled and Javert hesitantly stroke his hand over her hair. Then he tried to make his way as quietly out of the room as possible. As he turned off the light Cosette muttered sleepily, “I like your stories Javert.”

 

As the inspector didn’t know what to say, he simply made his way out of the room and closed the door. After he sat down in the kitchen he buried his face in his hands. Adoptive parents? The King and the leader of the army? Somehow he didn’t get that image out of his mind again.

 

About half an hour later Valjean, who looked more than tired, entered the apartment. But who could blame him after a day’s shift and a following training.

 

“Oh Javert, hello.” The strong man ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry it took me that long but we had to …”

 

Javert stood up and waved his hand. “It’s alright. Cosette’s asleep. Everything worked out great.”

 

Valjean smiled and then a quite unidentifiable expression reached his eyes. Just as Javert wanted to examine it a bit further, Valjean crossed the room and hugged him tightly. “Thank you so much Javert.” The grip on the back of the more than confused and overwhelmed inspector tightened.

 

“I … uh … It’s okay, really.”

 

Valjean pulled away and a slight smile was tugging on his lips. “You can’t imagine how much this means to me.”

 

The inspector just stared dumbfounded at the other man and didn’t have the slightest clue what to answer to that.

 

“I apologize. I am keeping you from your rest. How stupid of me … More so because you are injured. I just … Sorry. Good night.”

 

“Y-Yes, good night.” Javert stepped aside from the man who was still standing far too close and made his way out of the flat and right into his own. Once inside he went straight into his bedroom and collapsed with his face down on the piece of furniture. His muttered “Too fucking complicated” was to a large extent swallowed by his pillow.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all I want to thank you very much for reading :)  
> Second, I just want to tell you that the further updates might take me a little bit longer than usual due to various university projects and my current job ... I hope you'll still stick with the updates. ;)


	8. Chapter 8

 

Javert felt hot breath against his neck. Just as he wanted to turn around he felt strong arms wrap around his chest and a deep voiced ‘Hmmm’ed next to his right ear. Instantly, he recognized Valjean’s voice.

 

“Valjean, what …?!”

 

“Shhh!” Javert felt the full lips which rested pressed against the side of his neck curl into a smile. “Relax, Monsieur l’Inspecteur.”

 

Javert desperately closed his eyes and sighed as he felt his body respond all too eagerly to the other man. The scent of the cologne filled his nose again and the world was reduced to him and Valjean, pressed together, in complete darkness.

 

A tongue tracing a pattern onto his neck made Javert shiver and the policeman stifled a moan. “Oh Javert, don’t hold back. Not for me. … For the sounds you make are …” he smiled into his neck, “… most exquisite.”

 

Javert breathed hard through his nose as he felt the stubbled chin of the older man nuzzle into his neck. “Valjean …” he tried again but before he could finish he found himself turned around and pressed into a wall which he didn’t notice until then. He looked into Valjean’s smiling face through heavy lidded eyes. Then Valjean bit his lip slightly, though never breaking the smile and Javert couldn’t control himself any longer: He clumsily crushed their lips together. Valjean, who he felt still smiling at the beginning, soon returned the kiss eagerly and let his tongue trace the inspector’s lower lip. Javert was almost ashamed of how easily he opened up for the other man.

 

At the first, tiny contact of both of their tongues, both men moaned simultaneously. Valjean pulled away carefully, and searched the eyes of the policeman. As he had obviously found what he was looking for, he smiled again and leaned in for another kiss, this time by far more passionate than the one before. Javert felt like he was stumbling, spinning and falling – all at once. Like on autopilot his hands wrapped around Valjean’s neck and pulled the other man closer. Heat spread all over his body and he felt like his face was on fire. Obviously it showed, as Javert realized as Valjean pulled back and smirked.

 

“Eager, aren’t we?” he asked rhetorically with that deep and masculine voice, which made Javert groan. Valjean only nodded … and of course he smirked. He always smirked. Strong arms reached out and pulled his shirt apart, ripping each and every button.

 

“Valjean, please …” Javert whispered as the dark-haired man let his hands travel over his heaving chest. Valjean leaned closer – not without not-so-accidently brushing his nipple – and whispered into his ear, “Please what, Javert?”

 

Javert groaned in frustration. “Valjean, please … anything! I … Ungh!” That awful tease now liked a trail up to his ear and made Javert shiver.

 

Suddenly Valjean leaned in and pressed their groins together which made Javert cry out in a completely inhuman manner while rubbing against the other man. The only things that kept the inspector from dying of pure shame were the fact that Valjean also panted heavily into his neck and the … well, simultaneous excitement of said man.

 

Sweat formed on Javert’s forehead and threw his head back as far as the wall behind him allowed. “I… Valjean, oh God!” Javert moaned loudly.

 

“Yes Javert, come for me …”

 

As Valjean bit down on his exposed neck, Javert couldn’t hold it any longer and came with a strangled cry.

 

*****

Javert sat up straight in his bed and looked around disoriented. His bedroom? But …?!

The inspector’s gaze traveled down his body. As he reached his lower regions he groaned and let himself fall back onto his pillow.

 

“For God’s sake, what are you? Fifteen?!” Javert sighed, rubbed his eyes and realized how flushed and hot his cheeks were. This had to be the effect of the hug yesterday. Sure, this was why Javert had never allowed anyone to hug – yes, come even close to him. Sure, Valjean did have a strong and desirable body and right now he had to admit to himself that he even wasn’t the epitome of evil as he had imagined for a long time. But there was by far no necessity for those … those incoherent fantasies. No, that was the wrong word, they really were no fantasies of him, dreams. Yes, dreams, that was the word!

 

Javert decided that right now, that a mind-clearing, cold shower was due.

 

*****

“And you can see all of them in the sky?!”

 

Cosette looked at Javert with her huge blue eyes as big as teacups.

 

“Yes. Listen, are you sure you don’t want to watch a bit of TV? I’ll clear that with your father …”

 

“No.” Cosette smiled brightly and leaned over the books spread on Javert’s table. Javert watched her as she traced various lines on the pictures and forming the words she read with her lips silently. The otherwise so stern inspector had to smile. The eagerness of the girl was admirable. Two days ago they had talked about the stars … and now she was sitting here, studying his books. The inspector had expected that Cosette had long forgotten about it. But he was proven wrong by the small girl.

The next time she spent at his flat, he immediately asked him if he would teach her reading the night sky … and Javert was strangely affected by that. He was pleasantly surprised that something that was like a hobby to him could actually attract the attention of a seven-year old.

 

“What’s an … U-Ursa Ma-j-jor Javert?”

 

Javert smiled and leaned over Cosette’s shoulder. “The _Ursa Major_ is a group of stars which is rich in bright stars … And it reminds of the form of a bear. See …” Javert traced the shape of the group, “like a bear.”

 

“And why isn’t it called _bear_ then?” Cosette wrinkled her nose while looking up at the policeman. Javert chuckled.

 

“Very observing, Cosette. You see, _Ursa_ means _bear_ … und _Major_ means _big_ , so the constellation is called _Big Bear_.”

 

Cosette chuckled. “That’s funny. Who would name a group of stars _Big Bear_?”

 

“A Greek mathematic, philosopher and astrologer called Claudius Ptolemy.”

 

Cosette nodded, “Yes, his name sounds like he would name stars _Big Bear_.”

 

Javert couldn’t help the laughter that escaped his throat. “You’re probably right.”

 

But Cosette had her nose stuck in the books again, so to speak. Javert only shook his head but was silently proud of Cosette and her eagerness for learning.

 

 

As Valjean arrived to pick his adoptive daughter up, she flung herself into his arms and told him proudly that she started to learn reading stars.

 

“Really?!” Valjean asked skeptically and raised his eyebrows when he looked at Javert.

 

“Yes, even though some of the star constellations have really weird names” Cosette mumbled into Valjean’s sweater.

 

Valjean chuckled that intriguing, deep and throaty chuckle. “Star constellations, huh?”

 

“Well, the other day, when we went for a walk, Cosette got interested in stars and I thought I could …” Javert started but he was cut off by the lively girl again.

 

“Javert said they are like guardians.”

 

Valjean grinned and lifted Cosette up into his arms. “I guess he’s right there.”

 

“And Javert said that if I study hard, we could go outside of the city one night and read them … and you can come too, if you behave.”

 

Javert couldn’t stop the blush that was creeping up his face even if his life depended on it. Valjean on the other hand, obviously found it incredibly funny.

 

“Is that so?” He looked over at Javert, amusement sparkling in his eyes, “Well, I’ll do my best then.”

 

Javert’s eyes by now followed the lines on his wooden floor with high interest.

 

“Go on Cosette, go into our flat, I have something to tell Javert.”

 

Cosette looked at both adults, then shrugged, called Javert goodbye and then wandered off onto the corridor.

 

“Look Valjean”, Javert started and tried almost desperately to figure out how he should explain the behaving-part of their conversation but Valjean only smiled, pulled a colorful envelope out of his jean’s back pocket and held it out for Javert to take.

 

“What … is that?!”

 

“An invitation … for Cosette’s birthday party next week. Well, that’s the kid’s version of course but I didn’t have the time to make one the well-respected-police-inspector style. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

 

Javert was too stunned to so anything else so he simply took it and eyed the invitation skeptically. Right that instant the fact that this was the only birthday party invitation he had ever gotten hit him hard.

 

“Um … Thanks.”

 

“Friday next week, Cosette would surely love if you showed up. And”, he looked down on his shoes quickly, “I wouldn’t mind so much myself as well.”

 

“I –“, Javert cleared his throat which suddenly seemed much too tight, “It might be that I’m already working there …”

 

Valjean smiled, “You are allowed to arrive a little later. – I’ll make sure to save you some cake.” The strong man winked and Javert chuckled.

 

“Okay. Okay – I’ll be there.”

 

Valjean seemed utterly satisfied and smiled before he turned around and closed the door to Javert’s apartment behind him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that was the long overdue update ... Christ, I wish I had more time to write!  
> I hope you all enjoyed it and are still curious for the next one :)


	9. Chapter 9

 

During the approximately ten to fifteen steps from Javert’s apartment to the one of their neighbors, the police inspector questioned his own sanity. Why in Heaven’s name had he agreed to go to a birthday party? More so, he had even _promised_ Cosette to be there. And by now even Cosette knew that he never broke his promises.

 

He reminded himself once more that he was quite obviously damned. Damned to serve an afternoon – thankfully late afternoon – with a herd of screaming children. Javert closed his eyes in an attempt to calm himself. He never feared to be confronted with the most back-stabbing criminals but he surely wasn’t able  - or let’s call it prepared – to deal with some children.

And Valjean. As he did not hope he had to partake in all the stupid games children played at such events he was basically forced to deal with the ex-convict – and be constantly reminded of those blasted dreams he kept having almost every night now. Javert shuddered. That was probably worse than the children.

 

And there was the door – much too early for Javert’s liking. He wouldn’t have minded if he had to walk for another hour or two. Then the party would have been over and all his problems would be solved. Still he bravely raised his hand and rang the bell. About a second later, a grinning Valjean opened the gate to perdition.

 

“Javert, welcome. I’m glad you could make it.”

 

“I promised.” Javert waved his head and Valjean chuckled.

 

“IS IT JAVERT?!” Cosette’s voice hollered from inside the apartment.

 

Valjean didn’t even get to answer that question as the blonde already stuck her head past Valjean’s legs and grinned at Javert while simultaneously waving her little hand.

 

Javert took a deep breath. Now or never. “Happy Birthday Cosette.”

Somehow it felt stupid to wish a by now eight-year old a happy birthday while standing there in front of her door like he was saluting his superior. But judging by the way the smile spread on Cosette’s face she seemed to be extremely pleased by the declaration.

 

“Thank you. Now you need to have some cake.” Cosette took Javert’s hand and dragged him into the apartment. “We saved you a piece.” Cosette babbled along and Valjean added, “As promised. Though it wasn’t an easy job to fulfill.”

 

Javert looked back on the man who followed him and Cosette into the living room and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Javert was sure that Valjean could handle children far better than he himself. “Why is that?” the policeman asked curiously.

 

“See Grantaire over there?” Cosette pointed towards a boy with unruly, dark locks who ran around in circles in Valjean’s living room,

 

“Yes …”

 

“He ate almost the entire cake” Cosette explained.

 

“I’m afraid that we can be sure by now that he suffers from a sugar rush” Valjean dropped in from behind them.

 

“I see …” Javert felt only confirmed in his opinion about kids. Well, most of them. Cosette was an exception of course. Even though he had imagined a scenario by far worse than what happened in front of his observing gaze – if one didn’t count Grantaire that was. There were only two other boys in the room, one trying to calm Grantaire down and underlining how utterly stupid he acted (Javert agreed silently) and how this behavior wasn’t needed here at all, and another one sitting behind a pink teacup which was one of Cosette’s and grinning stupidly at the girl.

 

“Is that Javert?” the blonde haired boy who was quite unsuccessfully trying to calm the sugar-poisoned one asked.

 

“Yes, that’s our neighbor.” Cosette underlined her confirmation with an enthusiastic nod.

 

“Ah. Right. I thought he was younger.”

 

“Very diplomatic of you young man” Javert almost grinned.

 

The boy squared his shoulders – a gesture which almost made him look like an adult. “We are all equals – and we all share the equal right to attend Cosette’s birthday party. As long as she has invited you, of course.”

 

Javert honestly didn’t know what to reply to that. The Valjean-apartment really was some sort of phenomenon: In there (or with people living in that particular place) things frequently happened which tended to throw him out of his course – which, otherwise, rarely occurred.

 

Thankfully, the stupidly grinning boy loosened the tension: “I’m so happy Cosette invited me.”

 

Javert and the mini-adult-boy with the blonde locks almost simultaneously rolled their eyes.

 

“Right, and now Javert is going to eat his cake, alright ma petite?”

 

Cosette only nodded and flopped down to face the grinning boy and both pretended to have a tea party. The inspector gladly followed Valjean into the kitchen and sat down at the table. That was when he realized he hadn’t given Cosette her present.

 

“Uh …”

 

“What is it?” Valjean, who just retrieved the cake from the fridge, asked.

 

“I’m afraid I’ll have to go back in there.” Javert held the wrapped box up in front of him.

 

“I think you can wait with that until the tea party with Marius has ended.” Valjean smiled and placed a piece of chocolate cake with bright pink topping in front of the policeman. “Coffee?”

 

“I’ll probably need that to drown the sugar.”

 

Both men looked at each other and smiled – Valjean’s gaze causing a shiver running down Javert’s spine – before Valjean poured Javert as well as himself a mug before he sat down next to the inspector. Javert then hesitantly tasted a fork of the cake.

 

“Hmm … Sweet.”

 

Valjean chuckled. “Yes, I know, but it’s just …”

 

“… the way Cosette likes it” Javert completed the phrase.

 

Valjean grinned and nodded before his eyes were pinned to the coffee mug in front of him. “Sometimes I wonder how easily you opened up to her.”

 

At first, Javert experienced some kind of rage towards Valjean – how could this thief dare and assume he knew him?! – but a second later he realized that he really _did_ know him.

 

“Yes, me too. But I’m under the impression that it is easier with …”

 

“… children.” Valjean nodded knowingly, “Believe me Javert, I know what you’re talking about.”

 

“’suppose you do.”

 

Both men grinned at each other for another time, which raised goose bumps on Javert’s skin. Why was It suddenly so easy (and on the other hand complicated) to talk to Valjean, the man who had embodied everything that he despised? Somehow he felt as if his world had turned upside down since those two had moved into the same apartment building.

 

“Listen Javert …” Valjean interrupted his train of thoughts, “I just want you to know that … that robbery had been a slip … Stupid! I don’t really know what … Christ! You probably won’t believe me anyway.” The older man desperately ran a hand through his hair, sighed and obviously tried to hypnotize his coffee mug – regarding the intensity with which he stared at the item.

 

Javert on the other hand had absolutely no clue what to do. Taking part in a robbery was a crime … and needless to say criminals were filth to him. But this was Valjean, who had adopted a child and according to Javert’s knowledge really raised her well and with a huge amount of love. And a man like that couldn’t be all bad, could he? Javert sighed.

 

“It’s alright, you don’t have to answer me.” Javert couldn’t help but notice the bitter tone to Valjean’s voice.

 

“No, I … I don’t … You’re not …” Javert himself was surprised by how desperate his own voice sounded even to his own ears. Valjean raised his hand as if he wanted to lay it on top of Javert’s but stopped midway and laid it on own his thigh instead.

 

“I understand.” Valjean smiled at him, “I really do. You don’t have to say anything.”

 

Javert looked the other man deeply into his caring brown eyes and felt strangely understood by the former convict. “Thank you.”

 

Both men smiled at each other in simultaneous understanding and thus created an awkward silence. After a few moments of hypnotizing the coffee mugs, this time on both sides, Valjean was the first one to break the quietness.

 

“What is it?” he asked pointing at Cosette’s present which lay on the table.

 

“Oh … um … Stars.”

 

“Pardon?” Valjean grinned.

 

“Stars … You know, fluorescent ones which she can pin wherever she wants. In order to remember the constellations.” Valjean looked at him disbelievingly, “I know, it’s a stupid present but I didn’t know what else to get.”

 

Valjean’s smile possibly reached from one ear to the other, as Javert sarcastically discovered as he looked at the other man. “My God Javert, this is so sweet of you. Cosette will love it!”

 

“You think?”

 

“I’m certain. … And it goes well with the book about star constellations I got her.”

 

Javert looked up, “You got her one?”

 

“Yes, as she constantly talks about yours.” Valjean grinned and Javert couldn’t help but smile as well.

“And about the trip outside the city you promised her, for that matter.”

 

Javert blushed heavily (which had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he imagined Valjean in the moonlight) and turned to an even deeper shade of red as he realized that he was blushing. He never blushed – ever. The fact that Valjean added an “I’ll do my best to behave until then” and his sheepish grin didn’t help.

 

After Javert had finally given Cosette her present and the girl had hugged and kissed him about ten times and told him how much she adored it with eyes huge as teacups, Javert had to help and set the stars up accordingly in Cosette’s room – the ceiling, to be more precise. The blonde herself told the three boys how to form the constellations the right way and immediately corrected them if they made a mistake. The boy with the blonde locks emphasized that what Cosette was doing was ridiculous because all the stars should be free to stick wherever they wanted to. ‘ _Strange kid_ ’ Javert thought. Cosette on the other hand was utterly unimpressed by that and simply told him, that when he stuck them somewhere, it would be equally unfair as if she did it.

 

In the evening, when the boys got picked up, Javert also bid his good bye. Leaving the flat was difficult though as Cosette stuck to his leg and wanted to know when exactly they would go on said trip.

 

“I honestly don’t know Cosette, we will have to schedule something … You know, with me having to work and your father as well … and you going to school.”

 

“But we will go, right?” Cosette bounced up and down on his side.

 

Javert rolled his eyes, “I have already promised you, haven’t I?”

 

“You did.” Cosette beamed.

 

“Now let Javert go ma chère, he has to work tomorrow” Valjean tried to get Cosette away from the inspector.

 

“But tomorrow is Saturday!” Cosette protested.

 

Javert smiled, “I know, but I still have to go and prepare a case … from my desk, that is. They won’t let me out on the streets yet.” Javert gritted his teeth. What an utter nonsense that was! What use could he be from his desk?

 

Just as if Valjean was able to read his thoughts, he declared, “You’ll do an equally great job from inside the police office Javert. I’m absolutely convinced of that.”

 

Javert smiled slightly at Valjean, whose expression he could not quite put his finger on. Somehow he seemed happy, but at the same time sad and haunted, somehow. It was just weird.

 

“If you say so …” Javert muttered.

 

“Thank you for the stars again Javert … And I’m sorry we didn’t have more cake for you.” Cosette interrupted but Javert assured her that it had been fine. More of that cake and he would have been running around in circles just like Grantaire.

 

“It was lovely to have you as our guest,” Valjean added, “We’ll have to do that again very soon …”.

 

The inspector didn’t even know what exactly he mumbled but at least he got into his own flat afterwards and could be all confused without Valjean and Cosette constantly observing him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Puh, I know, I'm late again ... and therefore I want to thank everybody who still sticks with my little story.  
> Hopefully the chapters can make up for the time waiting :)


	10. Chapter 10

 

‘ _What a day!_ ’ Javert thought as he more crawled than walked up the stairs to his apartment. He honestly did love his job – he really did, probably more than anybody else on the whole planet – but a twenty hour trial for Thénardier was too much, even for him. And as the leading inspector on the case – and the one who had been shot by the criminal – he had to stay all the way through. He was surprised that the judge had lasted that long as he himself had almost fallen asleep at some point. Javert blamed the drugs he still was forced to take. Otherwise he wouldn’t stand a day on his job, not even in the office.

 

But Thénardier had been proven guilty of various crimes and thus would surely serve a huge amount of time in jail. That was reward enough for Javert. He wouldn’t even have taken the rest of the day off (as it was already early morning and he could have walked straight from the court to the police station) but his boss had insisted. The old and increasingly boring ‘ _Javert, you are still injured_ ’-speech. Well, he complained only rather weakly about the command. As it was, he planned to have a nice shower and then go to bed and probably sleep until next morning.

 

As soon as he arrived on his floor though, he knew that his plan wouldn’t work out as expected:

Valjean, who was about to step into his own apartment looked at him – his facial expression changing from surprised to extremely worried.

 

“Javert?”

 

“Good morning Valjean” the inspector grumbled.

 

“Tough night?” the neighbor asked with raised eyebrows.

 

“What makes you think that?”

 

“Quite frankly? No offense, but you look horrible Javert.” Valjean chuckled.

 

“And this is different from other days in what kind of sense?”

 

Now Valjean laughed, “I see, so the tired version of you prefers to joke. Seems that I have to keep you awake more often.”

 

Not even all the sleepiness in the world could keep the blush from Javert’s face – or the images invading Javert’s mind, for that matter. What his tiredness did though was to delay his answer without him noticing it. He only snapped out of his trance when Valjean cleared his throat.

 

“How about breakfast?”

 

“Valjean, if you think I’m descending these stairs again – and therefore would have to climb them again at some point, you are seriously mistaken.”

 

There it was again, this gleam in the other’s eyes. “No, I meant that I could make you some breakfast … In fact, I still have some left from me and Cosette today…”

 

Javert couldn’t believe that he actually abandoned his bed for a bit longer and followed Valjean in his and Cosette’s apartment – where he found himself sitting at an over loaded breakfast table in no time. How Valjean got all the food that quickly was a mystery to him. Maybe he had fallen asleep, who knew? A huge coffee mug was placed in front of him by a muscular arm.

 

“Thank you” Javert mumbled and looked up at a grinning Valjean.

 

“You’re very welcome. Now …” the other man sat down next to him and Javert maneuvered himself vaguely in his direction, “… would you like to tell me what kept you awake for so long?”

 

“Partied all night long.”

 

Valjean smirked, “Right!”

 

“What? You don’t believe me?” Javert raised an eyebrow.

 

“Not really, no. But the fact that you are a terrible liar adds to your character.”

 

Both men laughed before Javert took a sip of the really excellent coffee and nodded. “No, I’ve been at a trial – the one for Thénardier, the guy who shot me – for twenty hours straight. The authorities wanted it all over and done with and send him right to prison. Otherwise his lawyer would surely thought of a trick to set him on parole or something, damn it! … Christ, I’m sorry Valjean!” Javert exclaimed as he saw the bitter expression on his hosts face. “I didn’t mean … God, you’re nothing like him of course!”

 

To his own surprise, this wasn’t just a flowery phrase he exclaimed to make the other one feel better – that really wasn’t his nature – but he really meant it. Thénardier was the kind of person who would sell his own children if that meant he wouldn’t be punished for his crimes while Valjean would do everything in his power to protect Cosette.

 

The older man grinned, “Thank you Javert. That really means a lot to me.” As Javert didn’t reply anything, Valjean chuckled, “Now look at us, we’re almost getting domestic here.”

 

Javert chuckled around the fork of eggs that he had placed in his mouth and gave an approving nod. “Who would have thought …” he added afterwards.

 

“Call me crazy but I’m really happy that …” Valjean scratched his neck, “… we, you know … get along now.”

 

That forced a repressed laugh out of Javert’s throat, followed by a questioning (and maybe slightly scared?) look on the older man’s face.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to hate me, Valjean?”

 

“Why on earth would I hate you, Javert?” the addressed one asked flabbergasted.

 

“Because …”, Javert waved his fork enthusiastically, “… I – Well, I despised you and possibly made your life a living hell, to be frank.”

 

Valjean laughed, “You mean because you arrested me? And then weren’t exactly happy that I moved in next door?” Javert nodded and decided to stuff another fork of food into his mouth. Why hadn’t he noticed how hungry he had been beforehand?

 

“Well, it’s your job to put criminals in prison, right? And therefore, you don’t trust most of them because they break the law – which is your duty to uphold. To me it seems quite logical that you feel the way you feel towards criminals. But it is my opinion that not all people are the same and that some of them are able to change – under specific circumstances, whatever they might be.”

 

“Like an adoptive daughter? – Where is Cosette, by the way?”

 

“At school Javert. Christ, you really are tired, aren’t you?” Valjean chuckled, “Yes, like an adoptive daughter – or somebody who gave you a chance at once.”

 

Either the coffee was fulfilling its job brilliantly or Javert’s drifted from utter sleepiness into the next phase: to be utterly hyped up. One way or the other, he was suddenly way more awake than before.

“May I ask you something?” After Valjean’s nod he continued, “I don’t want to be nosy or anything but … I want to know why you took part in that robbery. I looked up the protocols and didn’t find a clue in there – only that you did it for Fantine; to get money for her treatments. But how would somebody like you get connection to a thug gang like that?”

 

“Well, that’s … uhm …” Valjean again ran his hand through his hair and frowned.

 

“You don’t have to answer me, if you don’t want to.”

 

“No I – I’m just looking for a way to …” Suddenly Valjean placed both of his hands onto the table and looked intently at the inspector. “As there is no way to say it nicely or attenuate my foolish actions, I say it directly as it was: One of the gang’s insiders had been my boyfriend at the time.”

 

Javert dropped his fork. If it was due to the fact that Valjean’s actions really were that foolish or because he now had the confirmation that the man he dreamed of almost every single night really was gay - he couldn’t say for sure.

 

Valjean looked at the fork, then back at Javert and smiled, “What? Shocked?”

 

Quickly Javert regained his composure, “Only due to my lack of sleep.”

 

Valjean smiled and nodded, “And what was so shocking to you? The fact that I’m gay or how I could have been so utterly stupid as to believe that my all-too-kind boyfriend would care for me after I got caught?”

 

“I asked myself the same question only a few seconds ago.”

 

Both men grinned at each other and Valjean nodded. “I know, I was a goddamn fool but … I was young – and not used to … well, men like him. Neither was Fantine. We grew up under the same circumstances and with the same problems. That was why I cared so much for her – for she was even younger than I had been. And then she got sick, and pregnant. She didn’t know what to do, nobody would help her, no doctors, no institutions, nobody. And then, one day Gaston – who I had known for about a month or so – had told me about the robbery. And I joined in. Obviously, they only wanted me there because of my strength and left me at the crime scene the second they had what they wanted. And that is right when you decided to enter my life.” Valjean’s smile was bittersweet.

 

Javert sighed. As little interest in the fate of Jean Valjean he had back at the time of the robbery, he really felt with the man now. “I’m sorry Valjean. I really am.”

 

As to emphasize his point, he hesitantly laid his hand on one of Valjean’s, which still rested firmly on the table as if he forced himself not to freak out any minute. First, the ex-convict looked at him in disbelieve, but as Javert smiled – or tried to, for that matter, he wasn’t that used of smiling in order to comfort other people – Valjean’s grim expression softened at least somewhat and he turned the one hand around and entwined their fingers.

 

Shivers were racing up and down Javert’s spine and he was sure that if someone checked his blood pressure right then, they would send him off to ICU immediately. And only from the touch of their hands! Javert knew that his last amorous encounter lay way back, but this was madness! Why was he reduced to a sexually inexperienced teenager when it came to Valjean? ‘ _Oh God – I’m really doomed now_ ’ Javert thought as Valjean started to carefully rub his thumb over the inspector’s, whose condition even worsened.

 

Valjean’s gaze drifted from Javert’s face to their hands and then a smile spread across his face. Javert, on the other hand, cleared his throat: “I’m thinking of something eloquent to say right now but I have to admit that I fail quite miserably.”

 

Now Valjean laughed and squeezed his hand. “Why don’t we say anything and just let it be what it is?”

 

“Good point,” Javert said and nodded and then, after finishing his coffee, announced his departure, because he would fall of the chair anytime soon, as he put it. Thankfully, his host wasn’t offended and even walked him to the door. Javert could have sworn that there was a pair of lips ghosting over his neck as both hugged before Javert left the apartment. Maybe he would still find the energy to jerk off while he showered.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that was the next chapter, obviously ^^ ... And I truly hope that the Javert/Valjean-time in this one is enough payment for your generous patience.


	11. Chapter 11

 

Javert was sure that if things weren’t changing soon – in what direction ever – he would go mad. And of course, Valjean was the source of said threatening madness.

 

The inspector had thought that after that particular talk in Valjean’s kitchen, and the ‘ _hand-holding-incident_ ’, as Javert secretly labeled it by now, things between them would be a bit clearer than before. That meant that he had been under the impression that he had made himself clear, master of words that he undoubtedly was. Now the ball was in Valjean’s field, how the saying was. The thing was that the other man just left it lying there. And it drove Javert up the walls.

 

A little touch here and a hug there – and that was it.

Maybe Valjean expected something else of him. He had to admit to himself that his (maybe never really present) flirting skills had gotten completely rusty. But maybe Valjean only wanted to be nice and didn’t flirt with him at all and everything happened only in his head.

 

Thoughts like these contributed a great deal to his upcoming madness – the other (more insignificant) part was the thing that he was still tied to his desk at work. But there he knew at least where he stood – no more street work until those damn doctors gave him green light.

But with Valjean, there was no light. No green, no yellow and no red one. And as Javert was a man who highly appreciated clearness, this foggy situation just couldn’t go on.

 

So about ten days after the ‘ _hand-holding-incident_ ’ the inspector found himself at the door of his neighbors apartment, knocking a tad more hesitantly than he had imagined he would. Nobody opened. Well, it had been utterly stupid of him to think that Valjean was just as much at home as he was himself. He shook his head slightly, the sick feeling of nervousness – seriously, since when did he feel nervous? – ebbing away at least somewhat and turned on his heels just when the door opened.

 

“Javert!” Valjean exclaimed a bit surprised.

 

‘ _Great. All nervous again_ ’, Javert thought sarcastically. “Ah, Valjean. I didn’t think that you are at home.” Okay, that came out more professionally than he had implied. And there went his intimate talk. Maybe he should just leave the situation with Valjean altogether. Were his palms sweaty? Maybe he was getting ill …

 

Valjean chuckled, “Well yes, I’m sorry I’ve kept you waiting, I was just cooking. Cosette will be back soon and I’m already a bit behind with my… to call it plan would be an overstatement, but, you get the idea.” The man smiled. It was only now that Javert noticed the kitchen towel in Valjean’s hands. Since when was he so unobservant?! He was quite sure that Valjean was going to be the end of him.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to … I’ll just leave you to your work then.” Javert studied the pattern of the floor and thus didn’t see Valjean’s puzzled expression.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous Javert, come in.” Valjean stepped aside with a toothy smile and basically left the policeman with no other option as to enter the apartment. The older man went instantly back into the kitchen, “I’m sorry Javert, but if I don’t want the pasta sauce to burst up in flames I will have to keep cooking. I hope you don’t mind …”

 

“No, not at all,” Javert assured the other man and followed him. “Maybe … I can … help?” he offered as he saw the chaos in the kitchen: The noodles sat in a pot without water, tomatoes were in the sink and some onion was roasting (probably with some meat already?) on the stove.

 

Valjean turned around with an endearing expression on his face. “That would be wonderful, Javert. But you really don’t have to …”

 

Javert waved his hand, “What should I do?”

 

“Maybe you could wash and then cut the tomatoes?” Valjean raised his eyebrows. Javert only nodded and went to work … after he had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. There was no need to stain the shirt he had put on especially for this talk which now seemed to move further and further away from him.

 

“I’m really sorry that the flat looks like … well, like it does,” Javert grinned at that one while Valjean continued, “but when I came home from work, Cosette and Claire were waiting for me because Cosette had forgotten to buy some things for school. So I gave them the money and they went off to buy for the trip …”

 

“The trip?” Javert looked over his shoulder and caught Valjean giving him a look as well.

 

“Yes, they’re going on this field trip to the Provence next week and … this is really expensive, as you can imagine, and so I had to do some more shifts, which left me with much less time than usual.” Valjean had by now started to toss various herbs into the pot, “So I’m really happy I have Claire now, she’s the new, more reliable sitter. Great for a bit more free time but also expensive …”

 

“Well, if I could help out, but …” Javert started but was interrupted by his neighbor, “Javert, you have already done enough, I mean it. Don’t even make me think of how much money I would owe you if you would actually take some.”

 

“We’ve had that conversation Valjean,” Javert put Valjean in his place.

 

“I know Javert and I can’t thank you enough for it. Anyway, so they were on their way, good. Then I needed to do the laundry but the washing machine didn’t work at first, so I had to fix it. Then, I realized I had to do some more shopping for dinner because I had promised Cosette some pasta for tonight and then, well, I had to hang out the laundry to dry and I did a bit of cleaning on the way and then … yes, I started to finally untidy the kitchen. … And you were probably not even interested in any of this.” Valjean chuckled to himself. “I’m sorry.”

 

Javert again cast his gaze over his own shoulder, “Days like these, huh?”

 

Valjean turned around and raised his eyebrow and nodded in confirmation. “Sometimes it’s really tough but, it’s worth it.” He grinned.

 

“And if that hadn’t been enough already, there was this nosy neighbor who then kept you from cooking …” Javert threw in and Valjean laughed.

 

“Well, he offered to help, so it isn’t all that bad.” Javert chuckled, “Maybe the nosy neighbor would want to stay for dinner and eat the Pasta he has half-cooked himself?”

 

“Seriously Valjean, I have to invite you two over sometime because the situation with me always eating here does get out of hand.”

 

“I enjoy having you over … and I’m sure Cosette does too. Besides, this time you helped cooking so it doesn’t even count as an invitation.” Suddenly the man slapped his forehead, “But surely you are not here because I can’t deal with my daily duties myself. What brought you across the corridor Javert?” Valjean chuckled and turned around to face the policeman, who suddenly took great interest in cutting the tomatoes into the smallest possible pieces.

 

“Uhm, well …” Javert waved the hand that then grabbed another vegetable, “I … It’s not that important anyway.” It really wasn’t anymore, as Javert knew now that Valjean had simply been overly busy those last days.

 

“I’m sure it’s important enough that you let me make you cut tomatoes, so, go ahead.”

 

“Erm, well … It’s really not that urgent. I was merely being stupid.” Javert almost couldn’t believe himself that that particular sentence had just left his mouth. Valjean obviously thought the same as leaned in next to him on the counter.

 

“Now I’m intrigued, Monsieur l’Inspecteur. Go ahead …”

 

Javert sighed. Well, he had gotten into this situation all by himself, had he not? Now he had to stand the embarrassment of explaining his action … accompanied by Valjean’s cologne again. Seriously, why did that man smell so deliciously?

 

“Well, I … I simply wondered … uhm, I’m afraid I’m really not good at this Valjean.” The other man simply looked at him with raised eyebrows and a small grin tugging on his lips as he stood there in his far too well fitting jeans and the white tee. “I was just wondering how … I mean, if we … want to … uhm, progress from the … from what happened last week.” The inspector was sure that he was by now as red as the tomatoes he was cutting. Speaking of it, he really should put them into the pot now. “But only if … well, it doesn’t matter, as I said, I’m just being stupid. These tomatoes need to get into the pot Valjean.”

 

“They do, huh?” Even without looking up at the other man, Javert saw the mocking look on the handsome face of Valjean. Wait _, handsome_?

 

“Javert, please look at me.” As the addressed man didn’t instantly do as he was told, he felt two hands that gently rose his face up so both of their gazes locked. The expression in Valjean’s tender eyes almost killed Javert, even if he couldn’t label it exactly. Furthermore, it was most likely that he would simply drop dead any second now, considering how his heart rate had increased due to that closeness and those eyes and the cologne and … _Valjean_!

 

“I do want this to continue.”

 

Christ, was it suddenly hot in here? Maybe the pot had finally caught fire. Nevertheless, Javert found himself unable to look away from that intent look directed at him. As long as Valjean kept looking at him like that (not to mention the strong hands still on both sides of his face), the whole house could burn down to the ground. Wait, did he really just think that?

 

Javert didn’t have time to reconsider that thought though, as two lips gently laid on his and made his heart beat even faster and his eyes slide close. Like on autopilot his hands found their way to Valjean’s, gripped the wrists of the other man and locked themselves there as if he were drowning. Even with his eyes closed, Javert felt Valjean smile into the kiss before (Javert had no clue who started it though) they kissed again – this time with much more passion than moments before. Javert sighed in contentment as Valjean drew his face closer in order to deepen the kiss. The inspector was almost ashamed of how eagerly he opened his lips to the curious tongue that teased his lower lip.

And then the world exploded. Javert was absolutely convinced that it had something to do with the damn pot catching fire. At least he felt like the floor under his feet was swiped away and there had to be flames encircling Valjean and him because otherwise, he simply couldn’t explain that tormenting heat that engulfed them. Yes, Javert had been kissed before, but never had it felt like this all-consuming feeling he experienced as both of their tongues were introduced to each other. A whimpering sound escaped his throat before he could stop it, but in that moment, he couldn’t care less. One of Javert’s hands grabbed Valjean’s back while the other one flew to the kitchen counter for support. Really, since when did his knees refuse to work? Damn pot-generated apocalypse, he just knew it. Valjean’s low groan didn’t help the situation at all, if anything, it only made Javert’s knees buckle in earnest. The inspector felt the other man grin against his lips as Valjean placed his hands on Javert’s hips in order to support the other man.

 

“Javert …”

 

Jesus Christ and all the saints, whose names he currently couldn’t remember, even if his life depended on it, since when did Valjean sound so needy and … hot? The voice of the other man did things to Javert’s body he never even had dared to imagine.

 

“Don’t stop …” Since when did he sound so breathless? Why did he even care? “Please Valjean …”

 

After another, almost animalistic moan which brought Javert even closer to insanity, those perfect lips were again attacking his hungrily. As Valjean pressed his body even closer, Javert was sure that the other man could feel his heart race. Speaking of it, due to Valjean’s shift, the thigh of the dark-haired man was now rubbing against his …

 

‘ _Oh God, oh my …_ ’

 

“PAPA! We’re BAAACK!”

 

In retrospect, none of the two men in the kitchen could say if Valjean had immediately jumped back or if Javert had pushed him. Most likely both. And not one second too early because Cosette was already sticking her head in the kitchen, waving a bag in the air.

 

Behind her, a young, red-haired woman stepped up. “We bought everything on the list. Cosette has the change. Good night, Monsieur Valjean.”

 

“Good night Claire, thank you very much for your help.”

 

The woman smiled and waved goodbye while Cosette was still waving her bag and only then noticing Javert.

 

“Javert!” she exclaimed joyfully and ran over to him, hugging his leg. “Did you help Papa cooking?”

 

“Yes Cosette, it seemed like he could use a little bit of help.”

 

Javert could swear that Valjean, who had returned to the stove, raised an eyebrow at that one. Suddenly the blonde girl took her thinking posture again. Javert by now knew that nothing good could come out of it.

 

“Why are your lips so red?”

 

Valjean burst into a fit of laughter, which he quickly covered up with coughing. That bastard, who hid his face, turned to the stove. ‘ _Come on Javert, think!_ ’

 

“I – uhm – I was chewing on my lip while I cut the tomatoes.”

 

‘ _WHAT?!_ ’

 

A look of horror crossed Cosette’s face. Did she know? She couldn’t. She was only eight … Still, you never knew how early kids _started knowing these things_ today. How should he explain that? No, no, no! Wait! That wasn’t his job, Valjean was the damn father; it was him who had to do this …

 

“Are you already that hungry that you are chewing on your lip? … Papa, Javert has to stay for dinner, he almost ate his own lips!” The girl exclaimed in shock. Javert let out a small sigh of relief. No sexual education today. That sounded like music to his ears.

 

“Yes, ma petite, Javert is staying for dinner.” Cosette nodded approvingly. “Now Cosette, bring that bag into the living room and wash your hands please before we have dinner, alright?”

 

Cosette already hopped out of the kitchen as Javert let out another sigh and slumped down. Valjean’s chuckling wasn’t helping a bit.

 

“Why didn’t you show her your lips, you coward?” Javert hissed.

 

“And come up with another clever remark?” Oh how Javert hated the smug look on Valjean’s face right now! “I think yours was sufficient.”

 

“I hate you!” Javert said jokingly and Valjean chuckled.

 

“Javert?”

 

“What?!”

 

“You can put the tomatoes in the pot now.”

 

Oh yes, the pot. There it stood, unharmed, on the stove. Maybe he really had been imagining things.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you over and over again for your patience with me and my pace of writing. ... Now I have to go and cook myself ^^ Hope to see you next time :)


	12. Chapter 12

 

Javert swore by his honor that it all had started out innocently enough.

 

As he had returned from work, he had met Valjean, who had just returned from his shift as well, at the front door of their apartment building and, obviously, both had to climb up the stairs together. Between the second and the third storey, Javert had decided to finally invite Valjean himself. First, the invitation was long overdue, and second, Cosette was on her trip since yesterday morning, which meant, they wouldn’t be disturbed while they talked. And yes, Javert truly had a talk in mind. They needed to get some things out of their way before … well, something else happened. Needless to say, that encounter in Valjean’s kitchen had left Javert confused and … wanting more … of whatever that was.

 

Thankfully, Valjean had accepted the invitation with a smile and while Javert went into his kitchen and started to make coffee, Valjean inspected his apartment – and made a smug remark or two about his extensive collection of books concerning the law and astronomy.

 

As they have settled at his table and drank coffee, Javert (awkwardly) started _the talk:_

 

_Valjean, please don’t get this wrong, but don’t you think that this is a bit awkward; me being the man who arrested you and now … – No, not at all Javert. I am a different man than back then and you are as well. Are you serious? – Yes, I am._

_And what about Cosette? – What about her?_

_Will she understand this? Or do you want to … you know, keep it a secret? – Most certainly not. I’m sure she will if we explain it to her._

_Will that not make things difficult for her? – Will this not make things difficult for you as well, Monsieur l’inspecteur, dating an ex-convict?_

_Maybe. … I don’t care. – Really? I can hardly believe that._

_I think we agreed that we won’t talk about it. – You started it._

_Yes but … This is not about me, it’s about Cosette …_

 

That was about it, the essence of their conversation. Maybe with a bit of awkward fumbling and eyes fixed on the table on his and a few reassuring smiles and hair ruffling on Valjean’s side. Then the coffee had run out. Javert had been grateful for an opportunity to leave the table and set the pot under the coffee machine again. That was when he had heard Valjean approaching.

 

“What are you doing Valjean?” Needless to say, Javert had been upset by the whole difficulty of the situation … and grumpy. Yes, he had indeed been _grumpy_ , as Cosette preferred to describe his mood.

 

“I’m bringing the cups.”

 

“Valjean, I’m just setting the pot, there is no need for cups.” He didn’t even turn around. Why should he anyway?

 

“A shame, now they are here.”

 

“As I said, that whole action was utterly stupid of you.”

 

“Bringing the cups?”

 

“Yes.” Javert brought his fist down on the counter. That man was able to irritate him beyond reason.

 

Suddenly, two strong arms were wrapped around his waist and a chin lay down on his shoulder.

 

“What on earth …?”

 

“It will work out Javert.” A kiss was placed on his neck. “It will.”

 

“This is not about … I was only trying to make coffee.” Javert had hated the way his body had melted into Valjean’s utterly needless embrace.

 

“Maybe I was talking about the coffee as well.”

 

Even if Javert couldn’t see Valjean’s face or detected any movement of the other man, he just knew that he had been smirking. The inspector had sighed in frustration.

And then Valjean had started covering his neck with small kisses – well, at the beginning at last. They had grown more passionate in seconds and suddenly the other man had been licking and carefully biting and nibbling and roaming his hands over his chest. That had been the time when Javert had realized that he still wore his uniform. But if fact, he couldn’t have cared less. As Valjean had ‘hmmm’ed next to his ear, Javert had been unable to hold back the moan stuck in his throat any longer. Valjean’s hands had started to travel further down and there Javert had decided that he couldn’t stand it any longer. He had spun around and attacked Valjean’s mouth, who had yelped a bit in surprise, hungrily. Soon he had found himself pressed this time to his kitchen counter with Valjean’s strong frame rubbing against his. “It will work”, the other man mad mumbled, before he had attacked Javert’s neck with his mouth again, “I promise.”

 

At some point of their kitchenly make out-session both had agreed to move to Javert’s bedroom, where they, now on Javert’s bed, currently writhed against each other. Javert had given up on rationally explaining why his body reacted the way it did to the treatment of the man who hovered above him and started to unbutton his white shirt in order to explore the inspector’s chest with his calloused fingers.

 

“God, Valjean!” Javert moaned out as the older man gave one of his nipples some special treatment while he simultaneously sucked on his neck. Again, Valjean only gave another muffled ‘Hmm’ in response, still licking and sucking on his neck. Javert closed his eyes in delight and let his hands travel up the strong back of the other man. Suddenly, his lips were attacked hungrily and Javert again was aware at how eagerly he opened them for the man he once despised. Now, it almost seemed like an entirely different life to him – especially considering the staining erection pressing against the fabric of his trousers.

 

“Valjean, please …” he groaned as they both pulled apart due to their lack of air.

 

The other man smiled and let his hand travel again over Javert’s chest. “What do you want?”

 

Javert gulped heavily while shivers were racing down his spine. Slowly he brought his hands to the hem of Valjean’s jeans and opened the button. He couldn’t resist letting his fingers travel quickly over the surely muscular belly of the man on top of him, still covered in his shirt though, while the other hand slid a bit lower and palmed Valjean’s erection. The low and breathless moan of the other man almost made Javert lose it. The inspector still couldn’t help it and raised an eyebrow at the other one.

 

“Jesus Javert …” Javert felt hypnotized by the strong and heaving chest of the other man. “Do it.” Valjean moaned further.

 

Almost painfully slowly the policeman pulled the zipper down, unsure whether he should look at what was about to be revealed underneath that offending piece of clothing or at the incredibly sexy way the older man bit his lips in order to prevent himself from moaning. There was a slight blush on the cheeks of the man above him and Javert realized with some satisfaction, that he as well had started sweating. At last some bloody sign that Valjean felt just like him.

 

Javert slowly let his hand travel into the boxers of Valjean and he had to grin at how the otherwise always so patient and unwound man eagerly rocked his hips towards Javert’s hand.

 

“Don’t laugh at me, it has been a while …” Valjean chuckled and Javert let out a laugh.

 

“Well, if that is so, why do you keep waiting?”

 

Valjean smiled and sat up on Javert’s legs and opened the trousers of the inspector with much more speed that Javert had done only moments ago. Valjean’s hands that worked on Javert’s uniform left a burning mark everywhere they touched bare skin. Javert couldn’t help it – he just had to thrust up against those hands that freed him from his clothes.

 

Again, Javert had a smug comment on his tongue, but that got wiped out the second Valjean slid down his body and instantly started to lick a trail up his cock.

 

“Christ! VALJEAN!” Javert cried out as the man took the length of him in his mouth and started sucking as if his life depended on it. Javert’s fist flew to his mouth in order to stifle some of his moans, but he failed miserably. That talented mouth of the other man moved up and down his erection, sometimes giving a single lick in between. Javert felt as if his whole body was on fire as that delicious heat engulfed his erection. “Val-AHH!” Another suck. God-damn that man and his mouth!

 

The ‘Hmm’ that came as a response this time made Javert shudder from head to toe. Javert registered that the older man rutted against the sheets himself while he caressed his cock with his mouth.

 

Javert was long lost in a haze of Valjean and his mouth and his scent (again) and his own moans, as he felt that he was racing towards his climax.

 

“Valjean, oh Jesus Christ, please … I … I’m going to …” At that point the otherwise so considerate inspector made a fatal mistake: He slightly rose his upper body and looked down, where he saw Valjean, eyes directed at him while he still made no sign of stopping or interrupting the treatment he just gave Javert. It just was too much for him: With a loud cry and a jerk of his hips he released himself into Valjean’s mouth.

 

“God, Valjean! Fuck!” Javert sighed as he let himself fall back into the cushions. He tried to catch his breath, quite unsuccessfully. Valjean, who crawled up his body and gave him a passionate kiss didn’t help – at all.

 

“You taste good, don’t you think?” Valjean said smugly and Javert thought again, that, if anything, Valjean was making matters worse as he made Javert’s spent cock jerk again in response.

 

“Incorrigible, Valjean, that’s what you are.”

 

“It didn’t bother you only seconds ago.”

 

How Javert hated the smug look on the other’s face right then.

Javert then brought his hand down Valjean’s body and pulled the boxer shorts down as far as he could. The sight that greeted him made him clear his throat – and his cock jerk again.

 

“What?” Valjean raised an eyebrow and smirked.

 

“I hate to compliment you but that cock of you is quite impressive,” Javert growled lustily.

 

“That’s the nicest thing somebody ever said to me,” Valjean answered mockingly and raised a hand dramatically to his forehead as if he would faint. Javert laughed out loud and pulled the face of the other man down for another hungry kiss after he rolled his eyes and called him a “Cheeky bastard!”

 

The second Javert started to jerk Valjean off with is hand, the smart comments were instantly replaced by needy moans, as Javert noted satisfied. The way the other man pushed eagerly into his hand surprisingly gave Javert almost as much fulfillment as the blowjob he had just received, as the man noted with curiosity. ‘ _Well, that is something new_ ’ Javert thought, somewhat astonished.

 

The loud moan next to his ear drew Javert’s attention back to the handsome man, whose body rutted against his. “Oh God Javert … This, aahh, this feels so good …”

Javert turned his head and kissed the side of Valjean’s head – at least the part that he could reach from their awkward angle – and was promptly drawn close by the other man, who pressed his lips to his ear. “Nghhh …”

 

“Yes …” Javert half-moaned himself again. God, what that man did to him was indescribable, really.

 

“Javert, I need to … please …” Valjean panted as he pushed his hips forcefully against Javert’s hand.

 

“Yes Valjean, like that … Good. Come for me, Valjean.”

 

“Oh God, YES!” Valjean screamed and came with a few big spurts on Javert’s hand and his belly before he collapsed on top of the policeman.

 

Javert let his hands travel gently over Valjean’s neck and slightly chuckled.

 

“What?!” came muffled from the crook of Javert’s neck.

 

“I wouldn’t have thought that you are one to enjoy … talk like that.”

 

Valjean grinned against Javert’s neck. “Does that turn you off?”

 

“Quite the contrary, Valjean.” Javert chuckled.

 

Valjean rolled himself from the policeman. “Jesus that was …”

 

“Good?” Javert offered.

 

“Yes, definitely. Amazing, I’d even say.” Javert chuckled at that one, “But … heated was the word I was looking for.”

 

“Is that bad?” Javert turned his head and raised an eyebrow.

 

“No!” A chuckle, “Not at all, I just … I don’t know, wanted to take you out to dinner first or something.”

 

“We’ve had dinner, Valjean. Countless times, at your flat, remember?”

 

Both men chuckled and Valjean nodded before he kissed Javert’s temple. “Right. … I’m afraid I’ve stained your uniform inspector.” The dark-haired man added as he let his gaze travel down Javert’s body.

 

Javert looked down and found a few light stains on his dark blue jacket.

 

“Damn you Valjean … You going to pay for that one …” Javert exclaimed and threw himself at the other man, attacking his mouth with his own again, trying his best to ignore the chuckle from the man, who was now pinned under him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... As I think that my apologies are always the same and it seems that I can't improve on my speed of writing or my free time, I just hope that the chapter was worth waiting for :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to give you a fair warning at the beginning: This chapter contains little plot ;)

 

Inspector Javert was surprised at how easily perspectives could change. And obviously, that observation had again arisen due to Jean Valjean, as ever in the last few weeks.

 

Back at the time, when Javert had been the first to arrive at the crime scene of the robbery first of his colleagues, he had been slightly afraid of that bulky man he had to arrest. Even if he hadn’t put up a fight, Javert still had been fighting that stupid idea that he could rip the handcuffs apart - simply by his own strength.

 

Now, that those muscular arms were roaming his naked body, he felt something entirely different: complete arousal.

 

Javert had always been aware of the fact that he felt attracted to strong men rather than the slim and wiry ones, but what Valjean’s body did to his own was almost indescribable.

Another lusty moan escaped the policeman as he was writhing against Valjean, this time in the bed of the other man. The older man had insisted that Javert accompanied him while having dinner. Funny enough, both of them couldn’t finish the dish quickly enough and ravish each other instead.

 

“God, Valjean”, Javert exclaimed as he felt the body above him tense and relax with each of the highly arousing movements Valjean performed against his own form.

 

“What?” the older man asked before he attacked Javert’s lips hungrily with his own.

 

The inspector let out a groan, which was swallowed entirely by the mouth of the other one, slung his arms around the strong shoulders and drew the man closer.

 

“Please Valjean,” Javert moaned after they had broken apart.

 

“Please what, Javert?” That grin again, Javert almost hated Valjean for it.

 

“So you want me to say it? Out loud?” the policeman panted.

 

“That would be helpful,” the dark-haired man grinned.

 

Javert groaned again. Out of desperation or arousal or frustration or all of them, he couldn’t say for sure. “Please Valjean, would you take me already?” The inspector rolled his eyes, but couldn’t keep the blush from his cheeks.

 

“Are you sure?” Another kiss.

 

“I’m quote positive, yes.” Javert chuckled while Valjean smiled and caressed his cheek tenderly before reaching over to his nightstand. Javert was overly thankful that they were in Valjean’s apartment right now, as he himself wouldn’t have … those articles in stock, so to speak. Due to his current state of arousal, he doubted that he would remember his mental note to purchase some these days, though.

 

Valjean, who had already coated his fingers with some lube, positioned himself between Javert’s legs and the policeman caught the other man anxiously licking his lips, which caused him to smile slightly. After Valjean had directed another questioning look at him and Javert had answered with a small nod, he felt a slick finger circling his entrance. The inspector sighed quietly. Yes, it had been a long time for him as well. Still, as the other man carefully worked one finger inside, Javert relaxed instantly with another sigh.

 

Valjean, on the other hand, gasped. “Fuck, Javert …”

 

“What?” the policeman managed to ask between gritted teeth because he isn’t sure of his voice would betray him.

 

“You’re so damn tight …” Valjean panted and at that moment started to add a second finger. Javert stifled a moan – at least he did his best – and started rocking against Valjean’s fingers. The inspector really appreciated Valjean taking the time to prepare him. Other encounters of his weren’t as patient in that department – and Javert had to admit that he couldn’t imagine enjoying this as much as he currently did with anybody else.

 

As Valjean added a third finger, Javert cried out loud.

 

The other man froze immediately. “Shit! Did I hurt you?” Valjean asked worried.

 

“Christ, no! I’m just … very excited already.” Javert rolled his eyes. Valjean grinned and mouthed an ‘Oh!’ After a few more strokes, Javert was a whimpering mess. His swollen cock lay pulsating and dripping with pre-come on his belly and he was quite sure that his cheeks were flushed to the max.

 

“Valjean!” Javert panted, “Valjean, please … I’m fine. Please, more …” He moaned out as another wave of lust hit him and he was afraid that all of that would be over before it had even begun. Thankfully, the other man withdrew his fingers and put on a condom. Considering the admittedly delicious sight in front of him, Javert was even more relieved that Valjean had carefully prepared him.

 

In non-verbal understanding, Javert moved his legs over Valjean’s shoulders after his lover had positioned himself. The policeman shivered as he felt the tip of Valjean’s cock pushing at his entrance. Both men moaned out simultaneously as Valjean pushed in the first few inches, Javert gripping the sheets beneath him.

 

“Jesus Christ!” Javert exclaimed, accompanied by Valjean’s panting, as the dark-haired man was fully buried in the policeman.

 

“Are you alright?” Valjean asked breathlessly and looked Javert lovingly in the eyes.

 

“Devine. Now would you already start bloody moving?”

 

Both men chuckled and Valjean straightened a bit so he could hold onto Javert’s legs. That sight alone almost did the trick for Javert: That beautiful and strong man with his legs over his shoulders. As the older man finally started moving after a few moments, Javert was sure he was going mad. To see that glorious body flex and pull back, accompanied by the sweet noises Valjean made, set Javert on fire. And then there was of course that perfect rhythm his lover had set and the fact that Valjean seemed to know exactly what Javert wanted – and that he had already discovered _that_ spot inside of him.

 

“Oh God, oh … FUCK! Yes there, there, oh … Ngh!”

 

Valjean let his hands travel along Javert’s legs, who realized only then that he had been trembling. And then Valjean hit that spot another time and made the eyes of the policeman roll to the back of his head.

 

“Javert … you … are … gorgeous.”

 

The inspector only groaned in response while the other man pushed into him over and over again.

 

“Valjean … more, please … I …” the rest of whatever he originally wanted to say was replaced by another lusty moan. Javert’s hand went to his own arousal, which he started to stroke almost desperately. He was nearly there, just a few more strokes and pushes …

 

Suddenly Valjean bent down further and thus altered their angle slightly. Javert moaned out so loud, that he was sure the people on the ground floor had heard him.

 

“Yes, yes! Please harder … Val-JEAN!”

 

The man on top of him grunted with each thrust and as Javert felt his orgasm kick in he threw his free hand over Valjean’s shoulders and held on tightly for support. He felt his body jerk with each long spurt of cum. Just as Javert’s afterglow kicked in, Valjean slumped down over him with another moan.

 

“Jesus!” the other man panted and Javert felt the strong chest press against his own.

 

“I second that. Holy shit!” Javert answered and pressed his lover even closer, whose breath ghosted over his neck.

 

Javert realized that in that very moment he felt like he never had in his past life. Somehow light and dizzy … but wonderfully so. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly he was feeling but he was quite sure that that was how happiness felt.

 

“Valjean, would you please kiss me?” he blurted out before he could stop himself.

 

The other man raised his head and smiled brightly at him, one hand tracing the outlines of Javert’s sweaty face. “Of course. Anything for you.”

 


	14. Chapter 14

 

As Valjean woke up the next morning, he found Javert in his briefs and his white t-shirt on his sofa, a cup of coffee in his hand, watching a news program on TV.

 

“Good morning” Valjean announced his arrival and Javert spun around, finding the man standing in only his boxers leaning against the doorframe.

 

“Morning,” Javert answered, a little caught off guard and cleared his throat. “I hope it’s okay that I made some coffee, I just … didn’t want to wake you.”

 

A grin spread on Valjean’s face. “Ah yes, always up early inspector, aren’t we?”

 

Javert only shrugged. “Is it okay that I stayed?”

 

Now he was the one who caught Valjean off guard. “Of course Javert!” the other man said as he walked over to the sofa. “Please, make yourself at home.” Two strong hands were placed on both sides of his face and a tender kiss was placed on Javert’s lips. “What a question.”

 

Javert, very unlike himself in that moment, smiled as his lover sat down next to him and laid an arm around his shoulders.

 

“Can I have a sip?” Valjean asked with a grin.

 

“There is a whole pot in the kitchen, Valjean.”

 

“I don’t want to get up,” the dark-haired man answered cheekily.

 

“Fair enough,” Javert said as he handed his mug over, “after the action performed yesterday.”

 

Valjean laughed into the mug and Javert grinned as well.

 

“I’m glad you stayed,” Valjean said after a while of comfortable silence. Javert only squeezed his hand in response.

 

“If you would have slept longer, I would have been forced to go  … to work. You don’t have to go to work today?” Javert wanted to know.

 

“Later shift than usual.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Both men fell into silence again, handing the mug over between them and Valjean, deep into thoughts, ran his hand up and down Javert’s upper arm.

 

“Listen Javert, I’ve got to work late today … but I’d still like to have you over again. So, would you mind coming around again?” Valjean asked, now he a little flushed, as Javert noted with great satisfaction.

 

The younger one sighed. “I’d love to Valjean, but … Tomorrow I have an early, early shift, so to speak. So I can’t stay as long as yesterday for … that kind of activities.”

 

Valjean grinned. “Sure I just … I didn’t think of that, sorry. You don’t have to come over, it’s just … never mind. Now I’m being stupid.”

 

Javert smiled and turned Valjean’s face slightly that it was facing his own before he pressed a soft kiss to those delicious lips. “I didn’t say I don’t want to, just that we can’t fuck half of the night, like we did yesterday.”

 

Valjean started chuckling and Javert still grinned. Both men decided that both would meet up later that day for a glass of wine before Javert finished his cup of coffee and announced his departure.

 

 

Javert thought of himself as a man who was an expert in hiding his feelings.

That day, when he entered the police station he got the confirmation that it all had worked out rather well – until now. Until Jean Valjean. All day long he got confused glances of his colleagues and he had already feared that the other man had left a mark on his neck or something alike. Still, as he checked in the bathroom mirror, he couldn’t find anything like that. He just shook his head, looked himself in the mirror once again, tilted his head and then re-entered the office – where the strange looks started again. Maybe it was only him imagining things anyway.

 

Lunch brought a bit of clarity though.

Usually, Javert wouldn’t even attend lunch, or only rarely do so, but due to the … different situation in the morning, the inspector had skipped breakfast, which was the reason why he was quite hungry now. As he was standing in the queue in the canteen, a conversation of two young officers sitting at a table close by caught his ears.

 

“There, again! Did you see that?”

 

“Of course I saw it, I’m not blind. He does that the whole day already.”

 

“Weird, isn’t it?!”

 

Javert raised one eyebrow but didn’t turn around to look their way. He knew nevertheless that they were talking about him. In his years and years of police work he had developed something like a sixth sense that told him when somebody was looking at or talking about him – and those two officers were doing both of it. He could almost feel their gazes on his face but couldn’t put his finger on what they were talking about. What was that weird? Yes, him in general – he was well aware of how the young ones talked about him – but they should have gotten used to it by now, shouldn’t they?

 

“Yes, I’d say it’s even frightening. Uncanny!”

 

Thankfully it was his turn to pay for his lunch. Otherwise he would have been forced to hear more of how scary he was. On his way to an empty table he saw that Renoir, his partner, was sitting alone and munching on his quiche. Embracing the opportunity to finally get to know what the hell was going on today, he sat down opposite of him.

 

“Javert!” Renoir exclaimed and grinned, “It has been a while.”

 

“Yes, tell me about it. I hate to be bound to the office,” Javert muttered.

 

Renoir only waved his hand, “Ah, rubbish! Enjoy the time in here, I expect you to be out with me patrolling again soon enough. I will do so as well.” That last comment was accompanied by a quick wink of the other man. It was only then that Javert realized that he had actually missed Renoir, who was the closest thing he had to a friend – again, until there was Jean Valjean.

 

“You know stuff like that Renoir, what’s the matter today?” Javert asked right away before he started to eat his own quiche.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Javert rolled his eyes. “Don’t you ‘What do you mean?’-me! You know exactly why I’m asking.”

 

“Ah, you mean why everybody is looking at you today?” the slightly younger inspector with short black hair asked.

 

Javert only snorted. “They don’t look at me, they _stare_! And they are calling me uncanny.”

 

“Shouldn’t you be used to that by now?” Another person who smirked at him, great! Again, he only snorted. “You do that thing today, Javert.”

 

“What?”

 

“You …” Renoir waved his fork in front of his face, “… grin.”

 

“What?!” Javert exclaimed probably a little too loud. “What?” he asked again, more quietly.

 

“Yes, you grin. Some call it a smile, but I wouldn’t confirm that. There are much too little teeth for that. I’d even say it’s a little scary because you have that weird crook at the right corner …”

 

“Those people are staring at me all day because I smile?!” Javert thought that it was possible that now he was staring at his partner with an open mouth.

 

“No, you grin. And yes, they’re looking at you because they’ve never seen such a thing in your face. And as we are in a police station, they examine it. As I said, I already noted that you have that weird twist to your lips, still …”

 

“Yes, yes, I get the idea, thank you very much.” Javert felt blood rush into his face – and was horrified. He didn’t even want to imagine what those people would talk about now. He knew how ridiculously fast gossip spread around the station.

 

“Why do you grin by the way?” Renoir asked suddenly, chewing on his lunch.

 

“That is of little importance to …”

 

“Javert, we’re partners for about two years now and I assume that I know you best of all the officers around here.” The other man leaned across the table and whispered, “I can see that you got laid and you liked it.” Now he pulled back again and wiped a quiche-crumb off his jacket. “Still, you never grinned until now and so I’m curious if that special guy means a little more to you.”

 

Javert shook his head to clear his mind, “How … How do you assume that it’s a ma…”

 

“Please, Javert! I may not be an inspector with an equally sharp mind as you, but I’m not completely stupid either.” Renoir raised his eyebrows and smiled at Javert, who looked embarrassed at his quiche. “Hey, that’s good Javert. Jesus Christ, don’t be so uptight! I was already afraid that you have no private or even sex-life at all.”

 

“Could you please try and not think about my sex life, Renoir?”

 

“I’ll do my best,” Renoir grinned and stuffed another piece of quiche into his mouth.

 

Javert had obviously forgotten how annoying his partner could be sometimes.

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sneaks in*
> 
> Okay guys, it has been ages, I know and I am truely sorry. But everything is just happening at once right now and I can't seem to get even a minute for myself. I hope that some people are still interested in this one ... and I promise I won't abandon it, it's just really though at the moment.
> 
> Plus, I went to see 'Les Mis' last Friday in London, does that count as an excuse?! :)

Javert’s day didn’t exactly get better in the evening, or so to speak, at his meeting with Jean Valjean. Well, it did get better, or at least it lightened Javert’s mood, but of course, he would never admit such a thing openly.

 

Currently, they were sitting in Valjean’s living room and had a glass of red wine, while Javert told his tale of everybody staring at him at work – surely, Valjean had asked him about his ‘grumpy’ attitude when he arrived for their ‘date’. After Javert had asked if Valjean already missed Cossette that much, the older man had simply pulled him in for a kiss and then Javert had realized that he was relaxed enough to tell Valjean about the whole mess. Needless to say, his lover found this immensely funny.

 

“You can stop grinning like that, Valjean,” Javert remarked after he had taken a side-glance at the man sitting next to him on the sofa.

 

“Why? I am under the impression that we should match, don’t you think?”

 

Javert only rolled his eyes at that comment and Valjean chuckled. “Why do you take that so seriously?” he wanted to know after a little while. “Do you want to be the feared and grumpy inspector all the time?”

 

“In fact, I do, yes.” Javert answered with a little grin tugging at the corners of his mouth and Valjean rolled his eyes but smiled nevertheless. “No pointless and silly conversations about weekends, about the family or, I don’t know, food. Whatever. No chit-chat, no insignificant requests, no delays.”

 

“I hate to say that but I know exactly what you mean.” Valjean looked down into his glass before he took a sip.

 

“I hate to say that as well but I don’t understand …” Javert said jokingly as he sensed the change of mood. How did he get so sensitive about things like that? And since when did he care?

 

Valjean smiled and looked up at the policeman with sadness in his eyes. “You remember the birthday party? Of Cosette?”

 

Javert already had a sharp remark on his tongue that he wasn’t sure because he got invited to so many birthday parties lately but knew better as to verbalize that right no. Considering the expression on Valjean’s face it surely wasn’t the right time. So he only nodded in response.

 

“You must know that Cosette had given everybody in her class and some other children she knows from the schoolyard an invitation. And only the three boys accepted. Marius, because he’s obviously falling head over heels for her and doesn’t have any parents anymore, Enjolras, because on the one hand he’s an orphan and he thinks that everybody is equal and that kind of stuff – you got to meet him, you know what I mean, and Grantaire basically because he doesn’t care and probably didn’t tell anybody about where he was going – or they were happy that they got rid of him for a couple of hours anyway.”

 

Javert still didn’t understand so he only raised one eyebrow.

 

“I am an ex-convict Javert; nobody wants to leave their children in my attendance.”

 

Javert felt as if his insides have been ripped out and smashed to the ground. “I … I didn’t – I forgot.”

 

“You forgot, huh?” Valjean smiled sadly, “I understand that what I did was wrong and, above all, stupid. And I am willing to pay for that, I deserve that. But not Cosette, it’s just so unfair to her …”

 

A single tear rolled down the older man’s cheek and it broke Javert’s heart. Of course he knew that former convicts were avoided to a certain degree by society, regardless the probation programs, and until now, Javert had felt not even the slightest bit of pity for them. _They deserved what they got_.

But now, seeing Valjean crying in front of him, not for his own sake but for the one of Cosette, once again made him question everything that he followed rigorously so far.

 

Due to his lack of appropriate things to lighten the mood of his lover, Javert simply (hesitantly) put his arm around the other man’s shoulders and caressed his upper arm. The way Valjean instantly nestled up against him left the inspector helpless once again. How the other man managed to surprise him all along astonished Javert.

 

“If people don’t see what an amazing man you are, Jean Valjean, they don’t deserve to get to know you. Prison sentence or not.”

 

A bitter chuckle was the immediate answer, “Who are you and what have you done to inspector Javert?”

 

The addressed man smiled, “I don’t know, he probably got lost somewhere in your flat – maybe in between the meals and the birthday parties and … other activities.”

 

Valjean grinned against his neck and planted a small kiss there before he mumbled something Javert didn’t get. “Sorry, what was that?”

 

“I said that I can’t believe this is happening to me now … with you of all people.”

 

The policeman felt Valjean’s lips curl into a smile against his neck. “Would you mind elaborating that a bit further?”

 

Now Valjean chuckled and raised his head so that he looked straight in Javert’s eyes. “I have told you briefly about that guy who persuaded me to participate in the robbery? My back then _boyfriend_?”

 

By the way the man in his arms pronounced the name, Javert was sure that he despised him by now. Well, who could blame him really? The younger man nodded.

 

“Well, and with him nothing we did felt a tad bit like how it feels to be here with you – only sitting here and drinking wine. … And before you ask: I mean that in a good way, alright?” Valjean smiled and stole a kiss from Javert’s lips before he laid his head down once again on the policeman’s shoulder.

 

Needless to say, this left Javert speechless once again. The worst thing about that declaration was that Javert knew exactly what Valjean was talking about. He was no virgin himself - that much was sure. But his experiences in the sexual department were limited to mostly anonymous and rough encounters after a visit in a particular club or bar. Never had the inspector felt warmth, affection or even … Javert stopped his trail of thoughts for his own good.

 

“I know, Jean” was all he said and he caressed the shoulder of the other man absentmindedly, while both men let their minds wander in comfortable silence.

 

 

“Have you spoken to Cossette lately?” Javert asked after quite a while.

 

Valjean shifted a bit in his arms and the inspector felt him nod. “She called me just before you arrived. She loves the south and insists that we are going there for her next holiday. Furthermore, she wishes me to tell you that you shouldn’t be too grumpy without her being around.”

 

Javert ginned and shook his head. “I don’t even want to know if you made that up or not.”

 

Valjean chuckled. “Obviously, Marius is following her everywhere and is keeping an eye on her.”

 

The policeman only snorted as he could imagine Marius tapping behind Cosette like some overly attached puppy, but Valjean laughed, “Hey this is more than convenient. I mean, he makes sure that nothing happens to her.”

 

“Uh-huh, wait until they passed the age of fourteen.”

 

The older man groaned, “Could you please not make me think of that?”

 

Now Javert laughed and Valjean hugged him closer. “Probably Marius has to come along as well …”

 

Javert raised an eyebrow, unseen by Valjean who nuzzled his face into the crook of the inspector’s neck. “Where? When you go to the south again?”

 

“Nope, to your astronomy tour with Cosette. I bet she’s already teaching him star constellations.”

 

To say that Javert’s reaction would be mortification would be an understatement. “That lovesick puppy won’t come along as long as I should do so as well. He can’t even remember the easiest ones.”

 

“Don’t be rude, you’ve only met him once.”

 

“And that is sufficient enough. Policeman, remember?” Valjean chuckled and pressed a kiss to Javert’s lips and sighed. “Furthermore, I can’t understand why you are not freaking out by the fact that Cosette and Marius out there in the moonlight … together.”

 

“As you said, they aren’t fourteen yet.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time, no read. Much too long - and I truely feel guilty about that. But now I managed to make some time to get back into the storyline again and even write another chapter. I just hope that there are still people out there, who are interested ;)
> 
> Again, my most sincere apologies and I hope that you'll still enjoy this fanfic. Also, the next chapter won't take as long, that's a promise!

 

As Cosette was a really smart little girl – yes, she would definitely argue about the little part as she was already _eight_ , as frequently emphasized – Valjean and Javert had agreed that the second evening after Cosette’s arrival back from the school trip, they would both talk to her. About them, about their past, about the whole situation and about what she thought of their … relationship.

Shivers were racing up and down Javert’s spine while thinking of it. He had a relationship. With Valjean, the first man he arrested here in Paris. Even after a whole week of talking things over – well, not always talking things over, Javert thought and blushed even in the privacy of his own flat – this whole item the two of them made seemed surreal. Not to mention Cosette! He had actually fallen for an ex-convict with an adopted child. Maybe all the officers at the police station were right, maybe he was behaving weird.

The only thing was it didn’t feel weird, quite the contrary in fact. Whenever he was with Valjean, he felt … complete, as stupidly that sounded. Suddenly he understood how all those teenagers in the park must have felt. The ones he usually rolled his eyes about – and even admonished some of them, but those few were really asking for it. It was still a park and therefore public territory, with children running around, for heaven’s sake!

 

Javert actually felt nervous as he made his way over to Valjean’s flat. Again for dinner, what else? He really shouldn’t be, as he had spent most of Cosette’s trip at the flat, not to mention the countless times he had already been there for dinner. Still, his hand trembled slightly, a fact that he would deny rigorously, as he knocked on the door. He was sure though that Cosette didn’t even realize his absolutely not-present trembling as she pulled the door open and flung herself around Javert’s legs. Just like that day in the park where Valjean had lifted that tree.

 

“JAVERT!” Cosette squealed and drew her little arms even tighter around Javert. The inspector feared that he actually might trip.

 

“Well, hello Cosette …” Javert greeted back awkwardly. What was anyone supposed to say to an eight-year-old who had wrapped herself around your feet?

 

“Cosette! Come back in – with Javert, preferably – or otherwise Louis will hurry out of the flat”, Valjean’s voice hollered onto the corridor.

 

As bitten by a snake, Cosette drew her arms back before she grabbed Javert’s hand and pulled, there really was no other description for it, him into their flat and kicked the door shut with her foot quickly afterwards.

 

“Now Cosette, you must never kick the doors shut, don’t you remember that?” Javert asked sternly.

 

“Yes, but Louis …”, Cosette whispered as if she could undo the noise the door had made by talking quietly.

 

“Who is Louis?” Javert asked and was shocked that he seemed to remember that none of Cosette’s toys was called that way.

 

“My cat”, Cosette answered triumphantly and smiled.

 

“Your … Your _cat_?!” Javert thought he must have misunderstood the girl.

 

As if on cue, the probably tiniest cat Javert had ever seen scampered out of the living room. Cosette immediately picked it up and held it in her tiny hands up to Javert’s face.

 

“Javert, this is Louis – Louis, this is our neighbor Javert.” The inspector considered briefly if he should take one of the small paws of the black, white and red animal but settled for a risen eyebrow instead. Cosette immediately pulled Louis down again and whispered “And sometimes, Javert is a bit grumpy, but never mind that …” into the cat’s ear as she walked into her room. Javert followed her with his eyes, half in wonder, half in horror. A cat. … _A cat?_ Dear god …

 

Javert shook his head, shrugged out of his stupor and made his way into the kitchen, where he could hear Valjean clatter with the dishes. Said man tore his gaze from the stove to look at Javert as the policeman entered the kitchen.

 

“I see you’ve met Louis …”, the dark-haired man smirked.

 

“I … Well, yes.” Javert nodded. Valjean grinned and nodded. “I … Valjean, where an earth does that, that beast come from?”

 

“HE IS NOT A BEAST, HE IS A FLUFFY LITTE CAT”, Cosette called out from her room.

 

Now Valjean did his best to stifle his upwelling laughter.

 

“Yes, you are laughing now, Monsieur, but as soon as that … animal is peeing into your flat, you will share my opinion”, Javert replied.

 

“In fact, Louis has already peed into the litter box we got him yesterday and was quite a nice little cat. But we will see how things develop”, Valjean stated. “Now, Monsieur l’Inspecteur, I have a question for you to answer.” Valjean turned fully around and walked over to Javert.

 

“Then, by all means, ask.”

 

Valjean smiled, leaned closer to the policeman and whispered, “Before we have that talk with Cosette: Do you still want me? Even with Louis? Because I’m afraid he’s part of the family now.”

 

Javert snorted, “As if I would back off from such a little bastard.”

 

Valjean pressed a small kiss to the spot next to his ear and patted his shoulder before he shouted, “Cosette, dinner is ready.”

 

Just as Javert took his usual spot at the table – yes, he really did have a usual spot by – Cosette scurried out of her room, with Louis of course, dropped the cat right in Javert’s lap and sat down next to them.

 

“You will like Louis, because he is a very sweet and dutiful cat. He only peed in the bus once.”

 

Javert coughed and eyed the small animal critically. There was just no way on earth that he would allow a cat to pee on his trousers. Only a few seconds later the otherwise so observant policeman realized what Cosette had just said.

 

“Cosette, does that mean that you took the cat all the way from Provence?” An enthusiastic nod from the small girl followed.

 

“In the bus?” Again, Cosette nodded excitedly, which made all her blonde curls bounce up and down.

 

“Valjean, you should have a serious talk with the teachers. I’m certain that this is against the rules. It has to be … I mean, just imagine the hygienic threats …”

 

Valjean, who had just placed their plates on the table with something that looked – and smelled wonderfully – like Quiche Lorraine, only raised his eyebrows and looked at his daughter. “Cosette?”

 

“I got him as a present.”

 

As no further clarifications followed, Javert got a little impatient, which might have been due to the fact that he had been doomed to interrogate criminals all day long. “Would you mind elaborating that a bit, young lady?”

 

“Well, we were staying at this farmer and the family had lots of animals …”

 

“Among them cats, I presume …”, Javert snorted.

 

“Yes, the parents of Louis. And Louis has three siblings. And they said that they couldn’t keep all of them and that nobody wanted to look after them and that therefore, they had to give them away and then they would be so alone. And so me and Grantaire, we started playing with them and Louis wouldn’t leave us. And at night, he sat in front of my door and cried all the time. And the farmers saw that and said that if I wanted him, I could take him home.” Cosette took a deep breath. Much needed, as Javert presumed.

 

“And so you took him with you … just like that.”

 

“Yes, because … I didn’t want him to be alone.”

 

“Maybe another family would have taken care of him?” Javert tried.

 

Cosette shook her head. “No they wouldn’t have. Nobody does that. I know how this works. He would have been all alone. The whole time …”

And suddenly it hit Javert. How could he have been so stupid? Cosette had been an orphan until Valjean had adopted her – and she sadly really did know what she was talking about. Javert’s felt like somebody had kicked him right into his stomach.

 

“… So I talked to the teachers and said that I would stay with him and if they didn’t let me take him back in the bus, I would have stayed at the farmers as well.” Cosette nodded and stuffed some quiche into her mouth.

 

Javert cleared his throat. “Well then, Louis is a lucky cat, now that you’ll take care of him.”

 

It was just then that Javert noticed the little cat had curled into his lap and was purring quietly. Cosette smiled up at him. “He likes you”, she announced before she attacked the quiche again.

 

Javert suddenly felt Valjeans leg against his. As he looked up at the other man, he was overwhelmed by all the emotions in Valjean’s eyes. He decided that wouldn’t even start categorizing them.

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody,  
> so, here is the next chapter. It got finished a bit later than I would have liked, but I had to finalize my master's programme. Thankfully, all done now - and quite well so.
> 
> So, after a much needed holiday next week, I will have way more time to write. YAY :)

Due to cat-related delays, the talk with Cosette had to wait until dessert was served. Mousse au chocolat, as Javert noted approvingly. It was Cosette’s favorite, which possibly served their purpose just fine. Although Valjean was sure that Cosette would understand their feelings for each other, Javert wasn’t fully convinced of the matter. It was him who had to explain why he had detested Valjean for years, more so as they had moved in across the corridor. Louis in his lap didn’t help a bit.

 

Valjean, on the other hand, seemed confident enough as he started to conversation right after he had served the dessert. “Cosette, ma chère? We need to talk to you about something.”

 

The small girl only waved her spoon an agreement and right then Javert thought that maybe the mousse hadn’t been the best of ideas – as it obviously got all of Cosette’s attention. But they would have to work with it. He had dealt with worse.

 

Now even Valjean cleared his throat, which Javert noted with great satisfaction. “Look ma petite … Javert and I, we have grown quite fond of each other over the last few weeks and … well, we wanted to know what you think about that. Would it be okay for you if Javert and me, we would see each other more often?”

 

Thankfully, it was Valjean who had taken over the explaining part, Javert wouldn’t have trusted his own voice in that very moment – not to mention that he had no clue whatsoever how he would have approached the subject.

 

Cosette stopped eating and took her thinking-posture again. Javert tried to figure out if this was a good or a bad thing. Her eyes wandered from her father to Javert, back again, just to land on Javert once again. Both men fixed her with their gazes. Cosette kept doing the eye-wandering-thing, which was getting a bit awkward. Javert decided that it was time to do something – so he took a sip of water.

 

“Who of you is going to wear the dress?”

 

Javert coughed and spat half of the water across the table. Louis jumped up and ran into Cosette’s room. Valjean immediately asked the policeman if everything was alright. The inspector brought his hand up to cover his mouth, let out another cough and nodded. Valjean seemed at least somewhat assured and turned his attention back to his daughter.

 

“Cosette, what do you mean with ‘Who is going to wear the dress’?”

 

“I mean, when you are going to marry, who is going to wear the dress? That’s important, because it needs to fit and everything …”

 

Valjean let out a relieved laugh and shook his head. Even Javert started to giggle – a fact that he would also deny, if ever asked. “If anyone is wearing a dress Cosette, it will be you, that much is sure.” Javert smiled. How much the two of them, Valjean and him that was, had fretted over how Cosette would react to their truly _unique_ history, and all she was concerned about was, who would be wearing the wedding dress.

 

“Do I get a huge dress with tulle and quillings? … And glitter, there most certainly has to be glitter. All the beautiful dresses glitter.” Cosette stated.

 

“We will see ma chère. Nobody is talking about marriage here”, Valjean smiled and ran his hand trough his hair. Javert only shook his head.

 

“Why? You two like each other, why won’t you marry?” Cosette asked before eating some more of her dessert.

 

“First of all: that would be really rushed, Cosette. Remember what we said about actions taken in a rush?” Javert asked.

 

“Yes, they are stupid. And they make your arm bleed again. We don’t want that!” Cosette answered and Javert grinned.

 

“Exactly. The second thing is that two men marrying aren’t as easy as a man and a woman marring.” Cosette frowned but didn’t say anything, “And third: Your father and I were just starting to see each other … more privately. Right now we are in the phase of getting to know each other better.”

 

Now Cosette scratched the back of her head. “But I thought you two know each other for a really long time?”

 

 _‘Oh dear, here we go …’_ , Javert thought.

 

After a lingering look on Javert, Valjean started, “Yes, that is true Cosette. But as I have told you once, our first meeting had been a bit … unfortunate.”

 

“Which is why Javert was so grumpy at the beginning, I know. What happened?” Cosette’s big eyes wandered from Valjean to Javert. “You tell me Javert, because Papa refuses to say anything.”

 

And there was Javert’s nervousness again, that had started to deflate after the mentioning of the wedding-dress. Unsure of what to do, he looked at Valjean, who only nodded approvingly and laid his strong hand on top of Javert’s, which rested on the table. Cosette only grinned at that. Javert cleared his throat.

 

“Well, Cosette … the first time I met your Papa was on my first assignment in Paris. As a policeman.”

 

“Where did you work before that?” Cosette wanted to know.

 

“On the countryside …” Javert asked himself what that had to do with anything he wanted to explain. But he knew better as to interrupt Cosette’s interrogation by then. He partly blamed himself for the multitude of questions coming from Cosette at any topic possible.

 

“What did you do there? Patrols?”

 

“Yes, patrols too. And I had to look after the citizens that they could sleep well at night – no disturbances. … Well, honestly, that’s just the same as I do in Paris now. Only on a bigger scale.”

 

“Yes, and louder, right?” Cosette beamed.

 

Javert grinned while Valjean looked fondly over at his daughter.

 

“Louder indeed. … But Paris seemed very desirable to me at the time. The capital of France, so much to do there, so many cases that were waiting for me. It was very appealing and so once I had been offered the post as a policeman, I took it immediately.” Javert remembered that day precisely. How proud he had been to be selected for the Paris Police Force.

 

“And then you met Papa?”

 

Javert swallowed, “Yes … well, you father was …”, he cleared his throat, “Your father was the first man I arrested in Paris.”

 

Javert watched Cosette’s eyes go round as plates. _‘There we go …’_ , he again thought bitterly and tried to calculate, what the young girl would say now. Surely it was nothing good. It couldn’t be. She surely would hate him. That he could deal with – well, not really but it was the best of all the possibilities that ran though his head right at that moment. Hopefully she wouldn’t start to cry. Javert couldn’t see Cosette cry … ever.

 

Cosette cleared her throat, “Papa once told me that he had stolen something. That was the reason I had to go to foster homes first, right Papa?”

 

Valjean nodded, “That is true, ma chère. I …”, Valjean cast down his eyes and Javert could see again, how much he struggled with himself to keep talking. Keep explaining – and quite possibly destroying the image he had tried so hard to build up in order to provide Cosette with some kind of normality in her young life. And here was, Javert himself, destroying everything. The only thing that kept him from running was the strong hand that gripped his as if his life depended on it. Maybe it did, as Javert noticed.

 

“I was trying to get some money for your mother’s treatments and I thought that … well, as I couldn’t raise enough money fast enough legally I participated in a bank robbery”, Valjean explained.

 

Cosette’s eyes still grew bigger, if that was even possible. “You … you stole money, from a bank? Like in the comics?”

 

Valjean chuckled, “Er … No, not really. You see, it is nothing like they always describe that thing in books or films. And of course, we didn’t get away with it – which is a good thing, by the way because what I did was all wrong and foolish, just to be clear about that Cosette.”

 

“Of course you didn’t get away; Javert is way too good for that.”

 

Valjean laughed and nodded while Javert didn’t know where to cast his eyes. Never in his life had he imaged that he would have that kind of talk with an eight-year-old. Under that particular circumstances!

 

“So Javert arrested you”, Cosette continued, “and what happened next?”

 

Valjean’s eyebrows rose, “Well, I went to prison, of course. But I cooperated with the police so I got a shorter sentence and the hour I got out I started fighting for custody.”

 

“You never saw Javert again after that?” Cosette inquired.

 

Javert decided to interrupt there, “Of course I have been at his trials, but otherwise, no. We hadn’t seen each other until you moved in across my flat.”

 

Cosette nodded and finally ate another spoon of her mousse au chocolat. That was when Javert noticed that his, as well as Valjean’s dessert had remained untouched until then. “But you two get along now, right?”

 

Valjean smiled and nodded, Javert merely blushed. And how well they did get along at that moment …

 

“Hm”, Cosette replied, stuffing another spoon of her dessert in her mouth. Javert was asking himself if she had already swallowed the last one. “So it all worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

 

“Yes, you could say that”, Javert nodded and noticed that the grin on Valjean’s face grew every second.

 

“Good, so everything is okay. I’m happy you two get along now. … Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to look after Louis”, and with that the blonde girl jumped off her chair, and hopped into her room.

 

Javert looked up at Valjean. “Oh for God’s sake Valjean, if your grin widens any further your face will probably explode.” As the other man squeezed his hand again lightly, the inspector realized two things: First, they had held hands in front of Cosette during all of their talk. Second, he was pretty sure that his smile was at least comparable to the one of Jean Valjean.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry (belated) Christmas everyone!
> 
> I hope you enjoy the next chapter ... It took me longer to write this one than I had expected. But well, life happened.  
> Have fun reading it and please leave comments ;)

“Javert, what’s …” Valjean cleared his throat, “What’s, the matter?”  
The policeman pulled back and didn’t even notice the concerned look on his lovers face. Instead, he just scooted back on the bed before he made his way to the bathroom. The “Javert?” again went unnoticed by the younger man – everything around the inspector seemed like in a blur.

In said bathroom, Javert tried to clear his head by firstly washing his face. Afterwards, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Bloodshot eyes, pale face, a slight tremble. This wasn’t how somebody should look like after having sex with the … Javert stopped himself before he could think something stupid as ‘love of his life’ or anything alike. Only minutes later, the policeman noticed the strong frame of Valjean leaning in the doorway.

“What?” Javert hissed and shot an angry glance towards the door.

Valjean, on the other hand, remained calm as ever. Needless to say, it unsettled Javert – as ever.

“I don’t want to force you to explain that particular situation to me Javert, but making a retreat like you just did raises some questions. More so, because retreat doesn’t fit your personality. Not in the slightest.” Javert looked up at his lover only long enough to see one of those elegant eyebrows wandering further and further up.

The policeman pushed past the older man and began making coffee in the kitchen. A couple of “Javert?”’s on Valjean’s side later, the older man disappeared in Javert’s bedroom again.

The inspector wanted to smash his head against the kitchen counter. He was stupid, that much was sure. A stupid man, who by accident had found love in a most unexpected place. Maybe his logical mind believed the whole situation too good to be true. That a man like Valjean – a kind, strong and beautiful man – could truly want him, particularly after their history, seemed highly unrealistic. For almost three months he and Valjean had been lovers and now he was about to end it over something stupid as … Well, he had never been a person who openly talks about his feelings, whereas Valjean was. Maybe it made the whole damn thing go to pieces.

“Javert?” Javert spun around, realizing that he only stood there in his underwear, whereas Valjean had dressed again.

The older man exhaled, “Javert, won’t you tell me what had you fleeing from the bedroom. … Please?” 

The policeman felt like a pouting child but his lips remained sealed.

“Alright. Then don’t. I hope that we can talk about it some other time then. If you feel like you are able to talk to me then come by. I’m going to go now …”

Javert bit his lip as Valjean turned on his heels and walked over to the door and slipped into his shoes. The hurt in the older man’s eyes seemed to rip Javert’s heart out. It seemed as if the joy of the policeman’s life was walking away from him but he couldn’t move or speak. It felt like a nightmare.  
Only when Valjean had already opened the door, it hit Javert how stupid he really was behaving. Throwing the probably best thing that ever happened to him away over his own complexes!

“You called me Mathieu.”

Valjean stopped dead in his tracks. The older man closed the door again and took a few steps towards the policeman. “I didn’t quite catch that, what?”

“I said”, Javert cleared his throat because he only then realized that he had been whispered, “You called me Mathieu. It caught me off guard – and not in a good way, alright?”

“You mean”, Valjean took a few more steps towards Javert, “I called you Mathieu during …” Javert dignified Valjean’s vague gestures only with a roll of his eyes.

“Yes Valjean, during your climax. Goddamn, we’re adults you know.” Javert knew that he was being unkind for no reason but he didn’t care. Maybe he was only angry with himself. The day had started out so well with Valjean coming over – Cosette stayed with a friend until the evening – and finally having some time for themselves. Today Valjean had ended up bottoming. That wasn’t how things usually were between them, but from time to time they liked to switch positions. And as much Javert liked Valjean topping him, he loved how the other man let loose when for once Javert was in command. A bit too much, as it had turned out today.

“Okay … You’re right. I’m … sorry? For both I guess …”

Javert could practically see the question mark dancing over Valjean’s head. “Why is that a problem for you?”

Now Javert was the one waving his arms vaguely in front of himself. To be honest, he didn’t even know what he wanted to say himself.

“Listen”, Valjean said, took the last steps and was now facing the policeman, “I know that you don’t like your given name. You told me so. But …”, Valjean pulled at his hair, “I don’t know, lately it seems weird to call you by your last name. We’re getting … kind of close and it just didn’t seem right.”

“Hm” was all Javert stated after that particular explanation.

“It just … Well, to me, it gets harder and harder to think of you as Javert. Javert who had arrested me, who was responsible for me going to prison, the grumpy policeman who lived next door. Now I know you better and … You’re different, somehow. I guess that doesn’t make any sense, right?”

“Probably not, no.” Javert had to fight hard to keep his voice steady.

Nevertheless his lover continued, “I have been thinking about calling you by your first name for some time, I have to admit that. Because I think it’s a wonderful name and it suits you. I honestly don’t understand why you hate it so much.”

Javert took a deep breath. It was that kind of situation where the saying ‘Now or never’ would apply. “Because it reminds me of my mother … obviously, because she was the one who gave it to me.”

Valjean frowned. “Alright … So you don’t want to think about your mother. Why?”

“Because …” Javert started gesticulating wildly again, “Because she was a whore Valjean. There, you have it. A whore who was imprisoned by the time she gave birth. She never knew who my father was; heaven knows where she even met him. She was a gipsy, you know? No, of course you don’t know – She was a gipsy. A gipsy who probably slept with every man that passed her way. Scum, I’m sure he was scum, just like her. Once we both were out of prison, she wasn’t exactly the motherly type, as I’m sure you can imagine. So please forgive me when I’m not particularly fond of my first name.”

Javert had watched with at least some fascination how Valjean’s facial expression had changed during his “confession”.

“Javert, I’m so sorry … I had no idea …”, Valjean started but Javert interrupted him immediately.

“That’s right, you have no idea. Yes, you have been to prison as well but you weren’t a child. It was horrible growing up around … well, that one you do know, I’m afraid. But if you think that it had stopped with being ‘released’ you’re wrong. For once, I couldn’t cope with the world, which is quite different to jail. Yes, you also experienced that, but you have known how life had been before. I had no before. But that’s not it yet. Just imagine how Police Academy had been – where the other cadets had found out eventually.”

“Oh Javert …”, Valjean took one of Javert’s hands in his which the policeman let happen only after a brief struggle.

“Don’t you ‘Oh Javert’ me, Monsieur …”

“I’m sorry, I’m so, so very sorry …” Valjean said as he wrapped his strong arms around the younger man. Javert held onto the other man for dear life, more so, as he felt Valjean blow butterfly kisses onto his neck.

“It’s not your fault, it’s really not.” Javert confessed after some time and partly hoped that his answer was muffled by Valjean’s shirt. But it was practically a lost cause: That man heard everything. “And I’m sorry I was so … grumpy.”

Valjean pulled back with a little smile on his face. “Don’t worry, I’m used to it.”

Javert lightly smacked Valjean’s side, “Brat!”

Valjean grinned before he leaned in and placed the probably tenderest kiss onto Javert’s lips that the younger man had ever experienced.

“I’m also sorry that I couldn’t talk to you right away, just …”

“I know …” Valjean said.

“No, you don’t know, not everything, not yet.”

“But maybe”, Valjean said and ran a hand over Javert’s back, “maybe you can tell me about it, in time.”

“Yes, maybe”, Javert answered and both men met in a soft kiss.

“You know what frightened me most?” Javert asked after Valjean had pulled him into a hug again.

“No?”

“That it didn’t sound as horrible as it used to … because it was you who said it.”


	19. Epilogue

 

 

“Come on, come on – we’re going to miss everything!”  
Valjean laughed out loud and Javert only grinned at the hyperactive Cosette, hopping up and down in front of them.

“I’m pretty sure there will be enough time for you to look at everything extensively, ma petite”, Valjean smiled and squeezed Javert’s hand slightly.

Cosette rolled her eyes, “But it keeps changing. Javert, tell Papa that the sky keeps changing.”

Javert turned his face to Valjean, who walked right next to him, their hands entwined, and grinned, “The sky keeps changing, Valjean. Even though it won’t be happening so fast Cosette. There’s still plenty of time.”

The girl only huffed and turned around again in order to chase the cone of her flashlight whilst hopping along in front of the two men.

The three of them were spending the weekend on the countryside – so that Javert could finally keep his word and go stargazing with Cosette. The moment Javert realized that with Valjean coming along, it was sort of their first holiday together – even if it was just for a weekend – the policeman had experienced a minor panic attack. Never had he considered himself the type of man who went on vacation, let alone with ‘family’. But he had calmed himself down enough to not back out of it again. Valjean and Cosette had helped a great deal along the way. Louis was staying with Marius for said weekend which, Javert had to admit to himself, was one of his cleverest ideas. On the one hand, the little fur ball (as Javert still called the cat – but with the most loving intention) was taken care of and on the other hand, Marius wouldn’t be able to accompany them on their little trip. Javert still didn’t like that lovesick behavior of the boy. But it was due to said behavior, that he had not hesitated one second before taking Louis in. With that in order, they were on their way.

Today was the first night and needless to say, Cosette didn’t want to waste any time. So as soon as the sky had turned into a dark shade of blue, she pulled – literally pulled – both men out of their small hotel and onto a carefully selected meadow. Of course, they had spent the afternoon looking for suitable locations and that meadow was by far the best option – according to Cosette. Equipped with a few snacks that they could have as pick nick, flash lights and jackets, they were on their way.

While Cosette suddenly gripped Javert’s hand and pulled him with her, Valjean set out the blanket they had brought as well – they almost had forgotten it in Paris but thanks to Javert’s checklist everything they needed made it with them to the countryside. The policeman smiled fondly at the girl who was dangling from his arm, happily naming all the constellations she could find on her own. Javert was baffled at how well Cosette remembered everything that he had told her. They again laughed about the name Ursa Major as Cosette pointed up to the sky in order to show Javert that she had found it all on her own. The inspector congratulated her and told the girl, that he was very proud that she had learned this complicated things in so little time. Just as Cosette beamed up at him, he realized that he really meant every word and as both of their gazes drifted towards Valjean, who set on the blanket, Javert realized that this really was a family holiday.

As the policeman convinced the blonde girl that they should be eating something now, he wondered how all of this was possible. In not even a year his life had been turned upside down – and he liked every minute of it. Though all the changes had come at a really slow pace they had peaked in Cosette once waiting for Javert in his office because she had forgotten her keys at home. To be fair, Javert hadn’t known that all the people in his office – fellow officers, Renoir among them, of course – were there because of the girl. First Javert had thought that there had been a crime so urgent that they all had to be on their way immediately. But then he saw the blonde curls of Cosette, sitting on his desk, and how she entertained at least eight policemen on her own with a story about Louis. Javert had briefly considered running away and hiding, but he was sure that even if he would have waited half an hour, Cosette and the other officers would still be there. So he had entered his office just as some young police officer asked, “Who on earth is Louis?” and Javert had answered “A cat” before Cosette even could. All heads were immediately turned in his direction, along with Cosette’s, who asked for keys and reminded him that her Papa and herself would expect Javert for dinner at half past seven that day. Needless to say, Javert’s reputation as an emotionless monster died that very day.

Another change in Javert’s behavior was that once he had told Valjean about his past, he wasn’t so afraid of it anymore and even got used to Valjean calling him Mathieu – even though he told the other man not to do so frequently. It was still too early for that.  
Javert looked over at the man sitting next to him on the blanket, combing the hair of a very sleepy Cosette with his fingers. Valjean must have sensed it, because he turned his head around that very second and smiled at the policeman. “It’s beautiful”, the older man whispered and Javert looked at the meadow and up at the starlit sky. It was beautiful – even romantic, Javert assumed, if you fell for that kind of thing, of course. But the man on his side obviously did because against the protests of an almost-asleep Cosette on his lap, Valjean leaned over and kissed the younger man lovingly.

Javert smiled at Valjean once they had parted again and said, “It is beautiful – and I like that we are here now.”

Valjean smiled, “Me too.”

“Can we please go back? I’m sleepy …” Cosette mumbled and the two men grinned at each other.  
Whilst Valjean lifted Cosette into his arms in order to carry her back, Javert quickly packed the few items they had brought with them and signaled Valjean that they were ready to go with a slight nod.

“But we will come back tomorrow, right?” Cosette whispered into Valjean’s neck and Javert patted her hair. “Yes Cosette, we will come back tomorrow night.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was it then ... and I hope you liked it.
> 
> I want to thank everybody who stuck with the story - considering the delays I'm truly sorry for - and especially all those who left a comment. Your nice words made me write this and encouraged me not to abandon this plot even with experiencing writer's block. So thank you for that - again - and I hope this is an epilogue that was worth waiting for.


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